Mai Hime: Early Years
by piper5381
Summary: After spending nearly all her life in foster homes, Aishu Hinamori is taken in for a time by Shizuru and Natsuki thanks to a chance meeting between herself and Shizuru. She hates this idea from the start, but as time goes on, Aishu starts seeing the world a little differently. She even learns to make friends. Will this new life change her thoughts on what family could really be?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! As some of you may know, I wrote (and am still currently working on) A New Light, a Mai Otome based trilogy. This story, however, takes place in the Mai Hime world, so many things have changed. I apologize for the wait on the Mai Otome stories, though. I have hit a hard writing block in regards to that series and thought that writing something fresh might help it. As I said, this is based of the Mai Hime series. Though the mention of Natsuki's and Shizuru's past won't be in the first book too much, it will be in the second. I hope that you find this enjoyable!**

_She never slows down, she doesn't know why_

_But she knows that when she's all alone_

_Feels like it's all coming down_

Chapter One: The Fateful Meeting

_She never slows down…_

"_Oomph!"_

_Aishu had never forgotten that day. It stuck in her mind regardless of her attempts to lock it away. While most people would find the event simple and uninteresting, it was different for her. Quite different._

"_Ouch! Watch where you're going!"_

"_I'm sorry! Are you all right?"_

_The girl had no idea why the woman had apologized for the accident. It really wasn't her fault. She was the one running after all; running from the hell hole that was her "home". Well, more like her temporary placement. In being an orphan, Aishu never had a real home. Instead, she had a reputation of spending more time bouncing in and out of homes rather than staying in one. What was the point after all? They were all the same…all happy and hopeful in the beginning, the adults thinking that they could change the life of one little girl. Well, perhaps they could, but not this little girl. She knew the tricks and pity that every adult hid behind their smiling faces and told herself to never fall for it. She had no interest in family and in no way, shape, or form wanted or needed one. At least that is what she kept constantly telling herself. Maybe once upon a time she wanted one, but those days of faith and hope were long gone. She learned quickly that the only person in the world she could rely on was herself._

"_Here, take my hand."_

"_I'm fine! Get away from me."_

_The older woman was trying to help, but the young brunette was not having it. She hated accepting help and hated when people attempted to do so._

"_Are you sure you're ok? Aww, oh no, you're bleeding…"_

_Aishu looked down and saw that she indeed did scrape her hand from hitting the cement pavement. It stung a little, but it really wasn't that big a deal._

"_Here, let me at least clean it up a little."_

"_No way, I don't need you to-"_

_But before she could continue her argument, the chestnut haired female grabbed Aishu's hand and began dabbing the scrape with a white handkerchief that she had pulled from her pocket. Aishu tried pulling her hand back, but the woman, despite her tall and slender figure, had quite a good grip._

"_What is she doing?" Aishu asked herself. "I told her no…"_

"_There. It's all clean. I actually have a Band-Aid I can put over it. Hold on one second…"_

"_No, look lady, I really don't need-"_

_But yet again, she didn't listen, the woman placing her handkerchief back in her pocket and pulling out a Band-Aid from her black purse._

"_What…are you so accident prone that you need to carry those things on you?" Aishu asked, trying to be smart._

"_Not me, no. I actually carry them more for my wife. She tends to be a little reckless."_

_There was an amusing yet soft gaze in those crimson eyes when she mentioned her wife. Aishu thought it was a little odd, but chose to ignore it._

"_So, what's your name?"_

"_What's it to you?" Aishu snapped back. She hated any kind of conversing, especially with adults. _

"_Just curious." She replied, not even angry at how the child was acting. "Mine is Shizuru."_

_The woman then placed the Band-Aid on the cut, doing so in a gentle manner. _

"_Aishu…" the girl suddenly found herself saying, actually a bit surprised at herself for answering. "Aishu Hinamori." _

"_Ara, Aishu. What a cute name." She then tossed the Band-Aid wrapper into her coat pocket. "There, good as new!"_

_Aishu pulled her hand away immediately, wiping some dirt from away from her black skirt before finally stuffing them into her blue sweatshirt pocket._

"_Whatever. I told you not to help me. I take it you are one who doesn't know how to listen well."_

_Shizuru simply smiled at this, sticking her hands in her own long, tan jacket pockets as well. _

"_Tell me, where were you off to?"_

_The girl was a little taken aback by this question. She wasn't used to this kind of attention and it was making her slightly uncomfortable._

"_None of your business. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go. Try not to run any more children over, okay?"_

_Shizuru giggled again at this statement, a highly amused gaze locking with the young girls chocolate brown one. _

"_Very well, I shall do my best. Have a good day then, Aishu, and do try to be safe."_

_And with that, she turned and left, Aishu doing the same without replying. However, it was the young girl who ended up stopping in her tracks a few steps in, glancing back at the woman once more. For the first time in a long time, thanks to the odd actions of Shizuru, Aishu felt her heart stir with an old yearning she used to carry. How long had it been since an adult took care of her like that. While most people would consider that to be nothing but a simple kind gesture, Aishu found it to be a little more as she was new to it. _

"_She didn't even know me…" Aishu said to herself. "Yet she helped me anyways. Hmph. Weirdo. Who cares anyways…"_

_And with that, she turned and finally took off, this time not bothering to look back. Now normally, she would disregard and forget any conversation she had with an adult, not really caring what they had to say and forgetting the adult in general if she could. This one, however, she couldn't shake. She was nice no matter how the girl had acted and it wasn't normal. And then to end the conversation the way she did…_

"_Have a good day then, Aishu, and do try to be safe."_

_Why would she care if she had a good day or not? What did it matter if she was safe?_

"_Have a good day, Aishu…Aishu…"_

"Aishu!"

The newly turned eleven year old stirred from her thoughts, shaking away the memory of that fateful event. Why was it fateful you ask?

"It's funny that you had actually met her prior to her visiting the orphanage!"

Aishu sighed as her social worker, Mari, spoke, throwing her feet up on the dashboard of the woman's car. Mari, of course, swatted at the girl's shoes while driving, Aishu silently cursing as she brought them back down.

"Her and her wife Natsuki seemed like really nice people."

Aishu simply shrugged her shoulders at this, her mind travelling back to that day. It had been a visiting day for those who were wishing to foster a child, a day she always dreaded. Normally, she would end up hiding somewhere where no one could find her, but on that particular afternoon she had been downstairs looking for a particular book she wanted to read before going into hiding. However, she never got a chance to find it because that was when she ran into that familiar face. She was just as shocked to see Shizuru as Shizuru was to see her, but nonetheless the woman seemed quite happy on the second meeting. She met Natsuki that day as well, a blunette woman who looked completely different than her counterpart. While Shizuru was a bit dressed up, wearing a violet skirt and a white blouse, Natsuki was sporting a white sweatshirt with a black skirt, a style Aishu herself often wore.

Upon encountering them, she tried to get away, but Shizuru wouldn't have it. Aishu instead found herself cornered while Shizuru constantly asked questions. Natsuki was inquisitive as well, but not as much. Shizuru even questioned on how her hand was doing, Aishu finding it weird that the woman remembered. Eventually, however, and much to her relief, they left. Funnily enough though, her heart had that strange stirring again. No one ever really took the time to get to know her, so why did they? Why were they different? It was a little too much for her to think about at the time, so in the end she simply disregarded it, pushing it and them out of her mind. What she didn't know was that the visit was far from the last time she would meet those two.

"They seemed really excited to take you in, too."

Aishu simply sighed again, keeping her eyes on the busy Tokyo streets.

"I don't care."

Mari's face faltered a bit when she heard this.

"Well you better start caring. One of these days you are going to have to realize that not every adult in the world is out there to hurt you."

"Bull…" Aishu said back, only eliciting a sigh from the older red-haired woman.

"Look Aishu, whether you like it or not, you are staying with them until the new year, so you better smarten up and try to look at this positively."

Until the new year…that made the news even worse when she first heard about this. That day seemed so far off. Spring break was just two weeks from finishing. When it was done, she would have to start at a new school for the semester, get through summer vacation, go back again, and then spend the winter holidays with them up until her departure date. It was going to take forever, unless of course she decided to drive them crazy enough to the point they didn't want her anymore. She sure as hell would try.

"And please don't try to purposely cause trouble." Mari said as if she were reading the young girls thoughts. "Come on, this family is willing and more than happy to take you in for a time. Just try and give it a chance, Aishu…just try."

The girl, however, just let those words slip through one ear and out the other. Why would she bother to give it a chance? It's not like anything was going to work out. It never did. She had given chances multiple times in the past, but they always blew up in her face in the end. Why would this time be any different? This experience was going to turn out just like the others, with her not really cared for in the end. It was all going to be the same. It always would be.

Or…would it?


	2. Chapter 2

**_Here is the next chapter! Thanks so much for all the reviews so far and to all the readers! It was nice hearing from you guys again! Hope you enjoy this one and the next chapter, titled "Arrival" will be out soon!_**

_Well I have to be honest, as much as I want it_

_I'm not gonna promise the cold winds won't blow_

_So when hard times have found you_

_And your fears surround you_

_Wrap my love around you, you're never alone_

Chapter Two: Change

_You're never alone…_

The clock on the wall read 4pm, the ticking seemingly moving slower the longer the blunette stared at it. Now normally, if she wasn't teaching martial arts at her dojo, she was either playing video games, riding her motorcycle, or snuggling up with Shizuru on nice weekend days like this, but today, however, was not a normal Saturday. Why so? Well, today was the day her and her wife took in their very own foster child. It was a big step for the two of them, and despite Natsuki being nervous about it, she was ready. It was something they had wanted to do for a long time, especially Natsuki. The woman knew what it was like to grow up without a family, so if a chance came up where she could keep another from feeling the way she had, she'd take it. What she hadn't been expecting was the fact that Shizuru had already met the girl prior to the orphanage visit.

"_That was the girl you told me about almost a month ago?"_

_ The two had just left the orphanage, Shizuru in the driver's seat while Natsuki_ _slouched with her arms across her chest beside her._

_ "Mhm." The brunette answered. "That was the little spitfire I ran into."_

_ "Spitfire is right." Natsuki told her, tucking a piece of her own hair behind her ear. "She was a sarcastic little thing. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, that's for sure. Though you have to admit, some of her comebacks were kind of funny."_

_ "They were." Shizuru replied, giggling as she remembered a few of them. "She was getting mad and getting all worked up over everything."_

_ "That she was…" the other said, her brows furrowing slightly as she thought about it more. "She kind of gave off the vibe that she wasn't much of a people person. Do you think she actually wants this?"_

_ "I think so." Shizuru answered. "I am sure she does."_

_ "Really? She didn't seem too keen on talking to us. Doesn't that mean she would really hate the idea of staying?"_

_ Shizuru looked thoughtful for a moment, considering the question._

_ "In all honesty, I don't think she hates it. Granted, the way she talks and acts say otherwise, but at the end of the day, regardless of her actions, she is still just a child, and deep down, every child craves for love and attention. All children want to be cared for and want to feel safe, and they all deserve it. Unfortunately, some kids are just not lucky enough to get that, and I feel like she is one who has never really gotten the chance. "_

_ Natsuki listened in silence as the woman spoke, her theory making perfect sense and most likely being right. Shizuru, after all, was always the intuitive one. Natsuki used to have the emotional and intuitive range of a teaspoon herself, but she was very much over that. Still, her intuition on these types of subjects could never match that of her wife's, which was yet another worry she had in taking in this child. She wasn't going to mention that now though and quickly passed the thought from her mind._

_ "I just hope she will be happy during her stay." Natsuki finally said. "I wouldn't want this experience to make her worse…"_

"Ara, you always have such a cute look on your face when you're lost in your own little world."

Natsuki, who was leaning back on the kitchen counter, jumped slightly at the sound of the voice, the speaker giggling at the reaction.

"I do not…" Natsuki grumbled, blushing a bit as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Shizuru could only smirk in reply, walking over to her wife and wrapping her hands around the girl's waist, pulling her in close and resting her chin on her shoulder. And, just because she was in a teasing mood, she gently nipped at Natsuki's earlobe and whispered,

"Don't be like that my love. You are always cute to me Nat-su-ki…"

This, of course, only made the blush grow even more.

"Shi-Shizuru!"

Another happy and playful giggle left the crimson eyed beauty as she pushed away a little to look at her lovers face. Teasing the other never got old. One would think that after fourteen years of knowing each other, six of them being married years, that the twenty-seven year old wouldn't blush so much anymore, but it was quite the opposite. Though, despite still getting easily worked up, Natsuki _had_ changed a lot from her high school days. After the Hime incident, which was a terrifying experience, they had gotten dramatically closer, the two, along with the rest of their close friends, moving away from that place and into Tokyo, living out new lives.

"So tell me, what were you thinking about?"

Natsuki simply shrugged a little, relaxing a bit in Shizuru's embrace.

"Was it about what we spoke of yesterday?"

The blunette looked away when this question was asked, immediately giving Shizuru the answer. This only prompted the older woman to squeeze Natsuki's arm lovingly, offering the nervous woman comfort.

"It's going to be fine. You're going to be great."

On the previous night, Natsuki finally spilled what she had been thinking about the day they were driving home from the orphanage, sharing her endless worries on how she would be with Aishu.

"How can you be so sure?" Natsuki asked. "I mean, I don't regret doing this in the slightest, but what if I am no good at this? What if I don't know what to do? You're better with kids than I am. I mean, you teach high school English to a bunch of students. Yeah, I teach kids of all ages martial arts, too, but just…you're just better. She'll probably like you more."

"Hey now…" Shizuru said, pulling the woman close again and hugging her tightly. "There is no need to worry. No one quite knows what to do when a child first comes into their life, but that doesn't mean bad things will happen. Everything is going to be ok…you're going to be great. I know it, and remember, you're not going through this alone. We're doing this together. I promise you…it's all going to be all right."

The sound of Shizuru's comforting words and the feel of her warm touch calmed the nervous woman right down, her own face nuzzling into the sweet smelling chestnut locks. Shizuru always knew the right thing to say and always knew exactly what to do to make her fears melt away.

"You really think so?" Natsuki asked softly.

"I do…" the woman replied.

Letting out a content sigh, Natsuki pulled away, resting her forehead on Shizuru's and eying her with a warm gaze.

"Thank you. You're probably right. It's just gonna be different, you know? I've been excited about this. We both have, and it's finally happening. I just want everything to go right."

"And it shall." Shizuru told her. "I mean, we may have some bumps in the road, but we'll get through it. It's going to be great having a little girl here."

"It will be…it will be." And with that, she leaned in and kissed her wife gently, the touch of her lips sending shock waves through her system as always. "Thank you, Shizuru. I am so lucky to have you."

"On the contrary, it is I who is the lucky one." The other said back, resting in the woman's arms after the kiss. She loved her Natsuki so much that some days she felt as if she was going to explode. In her heart, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

After a few minutes of simply holding each other and enjoying each other's company, Shizuru decided to go back into her teasing mode. After all, she could only go so long without seeing that blush.

"Ara, and if for some reason, my Natsuki gets nervous again, I know _exactly _ what to do to calm you down…"

Then, without warning, she gently blew into the woman's ear. Natsuki, in return, started blushing yet again, but fought to keep her composure. She would not fall for these little tricks.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Oh really?" Shizuru asked, now leaving little light kisses along the crook of Natsuki's soft neck. "Are you sure?"

This made her redder, chills now trembling down her spine from the kisses. Her stubbornness was still trying to fight, but it wasn't doing so well.

"I…I…"

"Aww, what's the matter Nat-su-ki? Is something wrong?"

Oh yeah, Natsuki was definitely losing it. Her face so red that steam would probably come out of her ears if it could. She couldn't even form a single word, not even when her wife slipped her hand up her thin, blue sweatshirt. She was only able to speak when she realized where exactly the hand was going…

"SHI-SHIZURU!"

_-Honk honk-_

The teasing immediately stopped, both woman turning their heads towards the window.

"She's here!" Shizuru said happily, looking back at her wife with a smile. "You ready?"

After taking a deep breath, Natsuki slipped her hand into the others, smiling back.

"I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope this is enjoyable so far! Thank you again for those who reviewed and for those who read. Hope you like this chapter, too! In the next one, Aishu attends the first day of school and experiences a few more things she isn't used to. Can't wait to update!**

_She won't make a sound_

_Alone in this fight with herself_

_And the fears whispering_

_If she stands, she'll fall down_

Chapter 3: Arrival

_She won't make a sound…_

It was a forty five minute drive to their destination. Yes, they were all on Tokyo, but Natsuki and Shizuru lived on the other side of where Aishu had previously been staying.

"_Of course they would be…_" She thought to herself. "_Already making things difficult."_

She would find any old reason to dislike them.

Somewhere along the way, she had fallen into an uncomfortable sleep. No one could blame her for that though for she had hardly slept the night before. How could she in knowing she was going to be dealing with a brand new placement the next day? While most kids celebrated being taken in, she did not, dreading the very idea of it.

"_Some please come and save me…"_

"We're here!"

Aishu snapped awake, a little disoriented when she did. Glancing down at the clock, she realized it was a little after four.

"_Woo hoo…twenty whole minutes of sleep…_" she thought sarcastically.

After, she peeked out of the window only to immediately turn her eyes down upon seeing her two new temporary guardians walk out of the house and into the drive way. Mari turned to the girl and smiled excitedly.

"Come on!"

The woman then left the car, but Aishu did not. She sat buckled in and unmoving, holding her brown cloth backpack tightly to her chest. She was in no rush to settle and wanted to treasure what few precious moment she had left before her placement began.

"_Hmmm. Alone. I like this. If I am alone, I could just, you know, run away…"_

This idea slowly crept into her mind as she sat in her own little world, and she had to admit, it was very tempting. She could easily slip out of the car and book it. She may have been very small for her age, but she was pretty damn fast. However, despite that sweet tasting temptation, she knew the idea was stupid. Besides, where would she go?

Upon hearing voices, she peeked back up and found the three women talking. This gave her a chance to look around without getting stared at, and as she did so, the first thing she noticed was the house.

"Wow…"

It was actually very nice looking and a really decent size. It was surrounded by other houses that looked somewhat similar, each house either off white or tan with a grassy front yard. There's happened to be off white. It had to be the prettiest area she had ever seen. She, of course, would never admit that.

"She is a little bit shy right now, but here she is!"

In being so sucked into observing her surroundings, she failed to realize that all three woman had walked over and were now standing in front of her door, the door opening within second of their arrival.

"_Did she just call me…shy? Oh no…that does not fly with me…_"

"Come on out, Aishu." Mari said gently, sporting an encouraging smile. "Come say hello."

Though unwilling at first, she refused to let anyone think she was "shy". So, she unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car, using one hand to casually flip her backpack over her shoulder while the other one slipped into her light green sweatshirt pocket. She then looked up at the two females, locking eyes first with Natsuki's emerald ones and then with Shizuru's crimson ones.

"Hello, Aishu." Natsuki said with a smile. "It's really nice to see you again."

Silence passed before them, all three adults hoping the little one would speak, but nope, she did not. Instead, she let out a little "hmph" and looked away.

Bad idea.

….

"Kawaiiiiiiii!"

One minute, it was nothing but pure silence, and the next, she found herself in the arms of a very happy and excitable Shizuru.

"You are just so adorable! We're so excited to have you here!"

"Wh-what? What are you d-"

"You're going to have so much fun! You're gonna love your new school and you'll make really good friends!"

"H-hey! Will you-"

"Oh Aishu, I am going to snuggle and hug and kiss you to bits!"

"…BAKA!"

After much struggling, she pulled herself away, a deep red blush gracing her cheeks.

"What was that all about!?"

"What?" Shizuru asked innocently. "It was just a little hug…"

"Little? You damn near well choked me to death! And I hate hugs!"

Shizuru raised her brow at this comment, a playful glint in her gaze.

"Hate hugs, huh? Well, we'll just have to see about that. If you truly feel that way, then you might want to keep an eye open. I have a habit of sneaking in hugs from time to time."

"Yeah, she kind of does…" Natsuki replied, scratching the back of her head. The woman had lost count of how many times Shizuru had snuck a hug in on her ever since they met.

"Y-yeah, well, no." Aishu stuttered out. "So not happening. I always keep my guard up pretty well from weirdos like you. It was just a little harder this time because…because…it just…was."

Fail excuse. Very fail excuse.

"Well then…" Mari said, hiding and amused snicker. "I'll just let you go on in and do your thing. If you guys need anything, feel free to give me a call. And Aishu? Be good and have fun."

And with one final warm smile and a wink in the girls' direction, she hopped in the car and drove away.

"Well, I guess we should go get you all settled then." Natsuki said. "Excited?"

"Thrilled." She said lowly, sarcasm very clear in her tone.

"Aww…"

"What now? You-"

_-Glomp-_

"Just look at this face!"

"Sh-shizuru! What the hell!?"

"She's just so cute Natsuki! Just look at her tiny little self with that dark brown hair and those big brown eyes and-"

"Get off!"

Aishu pulled away, blushing yet again.

"Always on guard, huh?" Natsuki mumbled with a smirk. However, moments after she said it, she realized she must have said it a little too loud for Aishu was now shooting her the death glare.

"Look. I'm the one who is stuck here with the two of you, so let's clarify a couple of things. One, don't call me cute. I am not cute. That is for babies, and just because I am small doesn't make me one. And two, don't _ever_ hug me again. I don't like them at all. They are not my thing and I don't intend to make them one."

She was kind of expecting them to get mad at this point. She was doing her best to be mean, but alas, for some reason, it wasn't working.

"All right, sweetie." Shizuru said. "Anything you say. Come on then, it's time to show you the house!"

"Ugh…sweetie is just as bad…" she mumbled, but didn't bothering arguing this time, the girl simply following them to the house.

"Hey…" Natsuki said as they were walking. "Would you like me to carry your bag?"

"Do I look like I am incapable of carrying it?"

This caused Natsuki to freeze for a moment, the blunette not expecting that reply.

"U-uh, no. I didn't mean to say…I was just…"

"I'm eleven, not two. I think I can handle this myself."

"Here we are!"

When the three reached the door, Shizuru opened it and they all went inside.

"…_wow…_"

The inside was just as beautiful looking as the outside, the girl unable to help but be a little awestruck.

"Let us give you a little tour." Shizuru told her, Natsuki not too far behind. "Right now, you're standing in the living room."

After slipping off her shoes, Aishu explored the well - groomed area, rubbing her hand gently over the cream-colored couch.

"_It smells like Spring…_" she thought, if that made any sense at all. "_Kind of like flowers…Lavender maybe?_" She wasn't quite sure, but it was something good.

"Over here is the kitchen…and over here…"

Aishu followed in silence as the tour continued, exploring the two bathrooms, where the closets were, a little sun room with a piano in it, and one last room. A room placed at the top of the stairs, first door to your right, and right next to Natsuki and Shizuru's bedroom…

"And this, my dear, is yours."

A funny little feeling travelled through her chest as the brunette opened the door for the three to step inside. It was an odd feeling, and she couldn't quite point out what it was, but…

"We just had it repainted not long after we found out you were coming." Natsuki told her. "I hope the color is ok…"

The color was more than ok! Blue has always been, and will always be, a favorite color of hers, and that was the theme of her room. From the baby blue curtains that hung on her window to the soft rug that felt good beneath her feet. Looking around a little more, not only did she find she had her very own bed, but her own dresser, her own desk, and her own book shelf half filled with stories she probably never read. She always was an avid reader whenever she could get her hands on one.

"We will let you take this chance to settle in." Shizuru told her. "We know it's been a long day for you, so get comfortable. I'll be starting dinner very soon if you're hungry."

Aishu just simply nodded, too sucked into her new surroundings to reply.

"Just come down when you're ready." Shizuru said warmly before the two turned and finally exited the room.

Now alone, she placed her bag on a nearby chair and went to sit on her new bed, bouncing on it a little to get a good feel. Much better than the kind of mattress she was used to. It felt really soft, and it probably didn't have little springs sticking up from it either. Here, she would probably be able to sleep a little more peacefully. Here she didn't have to worry about any other foster kid stealing her blankets or throwing pillows at her…

"_But don't get too comfy…it's not like you can keep it._"

This was a common thought process for the eleven year old. After being scooted in and out all her life, she learned not to call anything "hers", or to get overly excited about things. They were only going to be taken away again. And she knew for a fact that this was only for until the new year, giving her more of a reason to stay unattached.

"_You're just a guest. Don't forget that. You shouldn't be all happy and excited over it. Just because they seem very nice, and just because this is all so perfect…_"

That word stuck a cord in her heart, scaring her slightly. None of this could be right, for nothing was ever perfect for her. No matter how good things seemed, it would probably end on a bad note like all the others in the past. Yet, even with this worry in mind, she couldn't help but notice that there was something about the two women that made her almost veer from her normally resilient ways. Compared to how she acted with new people in the past, she was actually "nice" and didn't argue as much as she had done before. Granted, most people wouldn't call her previous actions nice, but it was definitely nicer compared to some of the things she had done before to people she had first met. She was already playing tricks on her foster Father on day one when she was eight! Here though, she didn't quite get the urge to do that. Just, something about them that made her feel…different. They were two of the nicest people she had ever met, and gave her a warm welcome she was not quite used to. From Natsuki trying to help out to Shizuru's sweetness, she found herself warming up a bit, and that wasn't normal…not normal at all. And those hugs…those damn hugs. Boy did she raise hell the two times Shizuru had done it, and despite her negative attitude, deep down, she felt…warm. It was a scary kind of warmth and one she wasn't quite used to. She was pretty sure she didn't want to get used to it…

"_Just ignore those stupid hugs __and just deal with them for now…I mean, I guess it's ok to like it a little. Just don't be stupid. They will eventually end up like the rest of the adults you've been with…just…_"

This was a common thing with the girl every time she was alone. That was when she would let her guard down and allow herself to delve into the thoughts and feelings she would so often ignore. For example, the warmth she was feeling with the two women. In front of them, she would purposely push that feeling away, but now that she was alone, she would allow that feeling to seep into her heart, reveling in the alienated emotion. It did feel good…so good regardless of how against it she was, but when the warmth came so did the yearning for love and family. That's when she would start casting it out. That particular emotion she would not let herself explore for it always left this painful emptiness. So if she felt it coming on, she would immediately bring her guard right back up, and since it was happening right now…

"_Ugh…get a grip Aishu._"

She let out a small sigh. Her brain was starting to hurt from thinking about this, so she decided to unpack to keep her mind busy. Digging through her bag, she pulled out one of her two sets of sleep shorts and t-shirt, changed into them real quick, and put the rest of her clothing away, which consisted of a few sweatshirt and skirts, t-shirts, a pair of pants, socks, and under wear. She would have unpacked her bathroom necessities, but decided she would rather keep them all together. When everything she owned, which wasn't much, was put in their respectable places, she took a quick look at what was on her desk. She had her own little lamp, a computer, and some notebooks and pencils.

"_Wow…a computer…didn't see that coming_."

Looking a bit more, she found a little calendar on her desk too, flipping through a few of the pages. It was April that actually caught her eye because the second of that month was circled.

"_Ugh…oh yeah…school starts that day_."

She had played the new school routine a thousand times, but always hated the process. Too many people…snobby kids…it was never fun. Granted, Aishu actually loved learning in school as it provided a great distraction to her mind, but she always hated the people. No one ever bothered to be her friend, her general attitude towards others not really helping her situation either. Did she want friends? Well, maybe, but…

"_Who needs friends anyways_…"

Flopping on her bed, she sighed and looked up at the clock on her wall. It was nearing four thirty. Did she want to go downstairs yet? She was told to go down when she was ready…but in all honesty, she wasn't quite yet. Everything was still too new for her.

"I don't know…maybe I'll just stay here for a bit."

Some more alone time did sound kind of nice, and the bed was oh so comfortable she kind of didn't want to move.

"_Maybe I can stay in here for a little while. It's not like I wanna see their faces right now_…"

Well, maybe a part of her did, but she wasn't going to give into it. Instead, she just rolled over and allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts. What she wasn't expecting was to actually fall asleep, failing to realize just how tired she actually was. It wasn't until a couple hours later did she realized what happened.

-_Knock, knock, knock-_

Aishu shot awake with a gasp, looking around her now darkened room.

"Aishu, are you all right?" Shizuru called.

Though confused at first, she eventually realized what happened and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah…"

"Are you hungry? Dinner will be in a few minutes."

"Okay…"

Only after she heard the woman walk away did she finally open her door, the sweet smelling food catching her senses almost immediately. Heading down and entering the kitchen, she found that Natsuki and Shizuru had changed as well, Shizuru sporting a beautiful, blue kimono-like robe while Natsuki was much like herself, in a t-shirt and shorts. Choosing to not say anything, she headed to over to the sliding doors in the kitchen and let herself out, walking out onto the patio and stopping once she hit the railing. At this point, the sun had set, leaving her welcomed by many twinkling eyes above her. Seeing the sky decorated with a million stars to this extent was yet another first for the female. You didn't get to see too much of that in the city, but on the random nights she could see a good chunk, it always reminded her of one thing, and seeing the sight she saw now only increased that feeling.

"_I'm so small…and so…unimportant."_

"Nice out here, huh?"

She jumped slightly when she heard the voice. She had been followed, and when she turned to look, she was slightly surprised to find Natsuki. She would have thought Shizuru would have been the one to follow. Still not really in the mood to talk, she went back to leaning on the railing and locked her eyes with the stars above her.

"You don't always get a chance to see the stars like this in the city." she continued. "But out here, they get really pretty. Not to mention, this is a good place to be if you don't want to be around a lot of people. It's a small community, and I have to admit, it's nice only having a handful of people here."

Now this Aishu could relate to. Not really being a people person herself, she always wished there was a place she could run off to and escape, but being in an orphanage didn't give her many of those chances.

"I have to agree…this is a very peaceful place."

A second voice came from behind, but Aishu didn't bother turning for this one. She was wondering how long it was going to be before she joined up.

"Though I love my teaching, I don't always like running around all the time to meetings and such nor being surrounded by so many people. It's always nice to come home to this place at the end of the day. I very much enjoy my time with Natsuki."

She giggled a bit before speaking again.

"And now we have you, and we're so very glad we do. I think we're bound to have much more fun."

This comment made Aishu blush slightly. She prayed neither could see and did her best to ignore it, keeping her gaze on the sky. As she did, she found herself getting lost in it. The sky seemed so big and it made her feel so little and insignificant. A thought that she kept in the back of her mind always. She wished she didn't feel like that. She wished she didn't feel a lot if things, but in the end…

Poor Aishu. She had to learn to not get so lost in thought when the others were around. Why? Well, in being in her own little world, she failed to realize that Shizuru was now behind her, and before she knew it, a pair of arms slipped around her waist.

"What the-"

"Shhhhh…"

Aishu could feel herself tense up, and when Shizuru pulled her in closer and nuzzled her head beside the girl's…

"Seriously, you're-"

"Shhhh…just stop for a second."

Aishu was not at all comfortable being in the position she was, however, was she uncomfortable because she didn't like it, or simply because she really did…

"_I don't like it…I don't…"_

Then why did it feel so warm? Why did that warmth seem so inviting?

"_It's too much. I really don't like it, nor do I need it, so why is she…_"

Or maybe she did need it and she was too afraid to admit what she thought was a weakness. The need to be held…the need for some kind of closeness…the need for attachment. There wasn't anything the child was attached to in her life, and every time she had tried to do so in the past, it blew up in her face, but right now, as Shizuru gave her that light little squeeze, she found the need for it growing…a need she worked so hard to keep at bay…a need that was suddenly stirred for the first time in ages the day her and Shizuru ran into each other, the woman all worried about her well-being and taking care of her. But she didn't need it…she couldn't…and this was happening way to fast in her mind. No adult could care for a child so quickly and so easily, like it was the most common thing in the world. No adult could do that, and she wouldn't let either of them think they could. She was independent. She could fend for herself. Just because she was with them didn't mean she needed to depend on them. She didn't need anything from them or want anything from them…however…if that was the case…then why did she not move from Shizuru's arms?

"_This isn't good. Move, Aishu, move._"

But she was rooted to the spot, her hands clenching tightly to the railing. It wasn't until a little breeze passed her by, sending the scent of roses in her direction, did she loosen it slightly. It came from Shizuru…her shampoo…and for some reason, it filled Aishu with a bit of comfort, causing her tense body to even relax a bit. This wasn't so bad, right? It definitely wasn't terrible, and it did kind of feel good. Who was she kidding? She could deny her needing little things like this all she wanted, but deep in her heart, in a place no one could touch…

She felt Shizuru's face nuzzle in a little more, the soft voice that spoke pulling her from her thoughts.

"See…I knew you'd like it if you stopped moving long enough. I was wondering where that Aishu was…now I can see you."

As soon as those words left her mouth, something awakened inside of Aishu, causing her to tense right back up. She broke through her frozen stage and quickly pushed back and away from Shizuru.

"Aishu…" Natsuki said. "We're not-"

"Shut up."

She found herself getting angry, eyeing both of the women with a glare to stay back.

"Just shut up. You see nothing…neither of you do. So don't go trying to play nice. You just met me. I know an act when I see one."

`"Aishu-"

"No! I won't let you reel me in with all this fake niceness! I'm not stupid! Just leave me alone!"

Both women stared back with worry. Of course it was not an act. Shizuru was generally a warm person, especially with children, and Natsuki too once given a little more time. They just wanted the girl to know she was welcomed and safe, that she didn't have to be all tough here. Shizuru was about to open her mouth to say so, but barely got a word out before Aishu turned and took off. Jetting through the house, she flew up the stairs and into her room. Slamming the door behind her, she fell back against it, her hands balled in fists as she cursed what had happened. She had weakened for a moment in front of them, letting her guard down from the "tough act" she had been using all day, explaining the words "I can see you."

"_They see nothing._" she said to herself, finally making her way to her bed. Not bothering with the blankets, she curled up in a ball on top and closed her eyes. _"They don't…and they know nothing, too. Who do they think they are? I only met them today, so why are they being that nice? Nobody hugs a kid that much…nobody just…_"

It just didn't make any sense…not to the girl who had given up on comfort and love a long time ago. She could remember yearning for it as a child, but as time passed and her heart kept breaking, she closed it up. She told herself there was no point in relying on others for love or comfort or anything. She told herself she wasn't allowed to.

Biting back a few tears, seeing as she was one who _never_ cried, she curled up a little tighter, making a promise to herself as she did.

"_Whatever you do, don't fall for it Aishu. Their kindness isn't real…it isn't. Just stay away Aishu…stay away."_

**Later that night**

"Well….day one has barely just ended and we already fail at the job."

They had both just finished dinner and were now relaxing in bed, the two propped up against some pillows. Natsuki had her arms held crossed over her chest while Shizuru lay her head upon the others shoulder.

"It kinda seemed like we were doing everything ok. It was all normal. I mean, nothing was_that_terrible. It doesn't seem like she approves of us at all."

"She's just scared. " Shizuru told her. "She's just needs more time. It's like she wants to have that comfort of being safe and loved by someone, but she's too scared to face it."

"Well, look at where she grew up." Natsuki said back. "We both saw her history and it's not exactly a pretty one. She's been in and out of foster homes all her life, some of them not the greatest, and if not in a home, then she was back at the orphanage…who knows how she was treated there…"

Shizuru lingered on this thought for a moment, her heart breaking a little the more the more her mind wandered. After being in and out of different homes, Aishu probably felt very unwanted, and if she was mostly treated badly, she probably didn't trust others very well either.

"What are we supposed to do?" Natsuki asked, breaking the momentary silence.

"The only thing we can." Shizuru replied. "And that's just to give her nothing but love…to make her feel as wanted as possible. She needs to be shown that she will be ok here and that she doesn't need to be afraid."

"And how are we supposed to that that when one, she won't listen to us, and two, freaks out over a simple hug? She was in full on spitfire mode since she came here."

"By simply doing what we did today." She answered back. "Keep hugging her, keep being affectionate. Don't ever stop. No matter how hard-headed or tough she may act, in the end, she is still just a child, and all children, no matter who or how they are, all yearn for safety and love. I know she wants it. Before she pulled away, I could feel the tension leaving."

Natsuki couldn't help but smile at this.

"See, I told you that you'd be good at this."

Shizuru gave the woman's arm a gentle squeeze.

"You are, too. You'll see, she'll warm up to us both in no time."

Natsuki was hoping for this. Although she was terribly nervous and had no idea how to do this, she really did want the best for Aishu. She wanted the girl to feel at home.

"You know…" Shizuru said, a small smile creeping on her face. "She kind of reminds me of you when you were younger…acting all "Ms. Tough."

Natsuki kind of had to smirk at this.

"You know what…she kind of does, doesn't she? I always used to have a hard time. I always felt so alone…so out of place. It was you who changed that. No matter what, you were always by my side."

Shizuru nuzzled into Natsuki's arm warmly.

"And I always will be. And we will both be by her side and show her she doesn't have to be afraid. You'll be able to relate to her and I will help by doing exactly what I did to you."

This sudden thought made the brunette giggle a bit.

"Well…maybe not _exactly_ what I did to you…"

"Shizuru…" Natsuki mumbled with a blush.

"You remember, don't you?" she asked, feeling playful now.

"I…I have no idea what you are talking about…"

"Oh really?" she whispered seductively, bringing her mouth closer to Natsuki's ear. "Well…maybe _this_ will remind you…" And with that, she gently blew into the blunette's ear, giving the woman immediate chills throughout her body. Before she had a real chance to protest, Shizuru was already kissing her neck, shocking the nerves even more.

"Must you?" Natsuki asked with a half-smile.

In reply, Shizuru pulled away and leaned back against the headboard.

"You really don't want to have some fun?" she asked with a fake sound of sadness.

Natsuki looked over at her lovers' body. Before climbing into bed, Shizuru had changed from her blue kimono robe and into a thin, black lingerie nightgown that came just above her thigh. She _knew_ Shizuru had done this on purpose for it was a favorite of Natsuki's. She loved the way it fit her lover's body, exposing every single curve the woman desired.

Shizuru saw the way Natsuki was looking, leaving her to smirk, and, just to be a tease, she lay down and pulled the blankets up over her entire body.

Natsuki couldn't help but giggle a bit at the sight. Without any hesitation, she pulled off the covers and went after her. Reaching out, she pulled Shizuru's body close to her own, the natural warmth feeling good against her own, and after, she wasted no time in bringing Shizuru's head close to hers and placing a soft kiss on those lips, eventually making her way down the woman's neck. Her hand also found its way to Shizuru's chest, a moan of satisfaction as her reward. Soon enough, Shizuru's hand slithered beneath Natsuki's shirt and began softly stroking her stomach and side.

No matter how many times they did this, Natsuki always gasped at Shizuru's touch. This left the woman in a moment of weakness, and of course, Shizuru immediately took advantage of this. She placed a passionate kiss on Natsuki's lips, their tongues moving with each other, Shizuru eventually reaching for her wife's' shorts.

After a few minutes, she rolled Natsuki over and placed herself on top. Natsuki had been known for being the one who took control, but she absolutely loved it when Shizuru did so. She always knew how to make her body give in with a simple touch.

Stopping for a few moments, the two stared at each other, love and lust in their gaze. Now that the shorts were out of the way, things would be oh so much easier. Reaching underneath Natsuki's shirt again, she let her hand stroke across her chest, Natsuki in turn reaching up and pulling down the straps of Shizuru's gown. They wanted to be as close to each other as possible, no amount of clothing in the way, and after another exchange of passionate kisses, the two disappeared beneath the covers and danced into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sweet darling, you worry too much_

_My child, see sadness in your eyes_

_You are not alone in life_

_Although you might think that you are_

Chapter Four: First Day

_You are not alone in life…_

"I…look…ridiculous."

Aishu stared in her bedroom mirror, grimly looking over the new school uniform she would now be forced to wear. The uniform consisted of a blue plaid skirt, a red tie, a white short sleeved blouse, and a black jacket, the jacket mostly used for cold days and winter seasons. Aishu, however, would wear it regardless of how nice it was outside. She had a thing for long sleeved clothing, hence why she wore sweatshirts more than anything. Yes, she would wear t-shirts every so often, but if she had a chance to wear something long, she would take it.

"_Well…at least the colors are good…_"

"Aishu, are you ready?"

"Yeah yeah…I'm coming."

After running her brush through her medium lengthed hair, she grabbed the backpack she had owned forever, (seeing as she absolutely refused to let Natsuki and Shizuru buy her a new one), and headed downstairs. It had been two weeks since she had arrived at this place, the events that occurred that night never spoken of again. She was grateful for that as she was trying to forget about it.

"_You can't forget that warmth though…"_

Aishu silently growled at the part of her that yearned for that warmth. As much as it sucked, that was something she really couldn't forget no matter how hard she tried. She secretly craved for it after all, only letting herself dab into those feelings when she was alone. She actually thought that after that night, they wouldn't want to give her warmth anymore, but that wasn't the case. They didn't even seem mad about it. How did she know this?

"Ai-chan!"

-_Glomp-_

"Good morning beautiful! Aww, look at how adorable that uniform looks on you!"

"Shizuru! Wh-what did I tell you about doing this?!"

"But it's not my fault. You're just so huggable!"

"Baka!"

Aishu pushed herself away from the Kyoto woman's embrace, all red faced and embarrassed that she had been touched again.

"What part of 'I don't like hugs' do you not seem to get?" the girl asked in an exasperated tone. She had lost track of how many times she had already said it, yet Shizuru just didn't listen. She always found a way to catch Aishu off guard and hug her to death. And the worse part?

"Oh, I want one, too!"

Before Aishu could even react, Natsuki wrapped her hands around the girl's waist, pulling her back into a little huggle.

"I need my Ai-chan hugs, too."

Aishu faced dropped when this happened. As of lately, Natsuki joined in on the random hugging sprees, leaving no safe place in the house.

"Really…must you do this?"

She pushed herself away again.

"I can't take much more from you two. Stop giving my hugs, stop calling me cute, and don't call me Ai-chan!"

She wasn't a fan of them calling her that cutesy name in the slightest.

"All right, darling." Shizuru replied back sweetly. "We will do best to follow your wishes sweet Ai-chan."

….

"That's it. I'm going to wait in the car. You two drive me crazy."

And with that, she turned and headed out.

"Have a good first day!" Natsuki called. "Be safe and I'll see you when you get back!"

The girl didn't even bother replying, walking straight to the car and slipping inside. After plopping her bag beside her feet, she flopped back against the seat.

"I seriously don't believe this…"

Placing her hand over her heart, she let out a small sigh. Yep, the warmth was there and it was making her heart do funny things. She usually took pride on how she was able to drive any adult crazy in a matter of days, but her anti-hugging and sarcastic self didn't seem to phase the happy couple. Not even a little, and it was weird. What kind of adults would pursue the way those two did despite her constant reminders that she hated it all?

"_Perhaps the kind of adults who actually care…" _said a voice in the back of her head, This only made her grumble. Two weeks in and she was already have issues controlling those yearning and warm feelings.

Stupid hugs.

-_Click_-

"Here I am! Sorry I took a bit long."

Shizuru slipped into the driver's seat of her car, slipping her tote bag, which was black and had the words "S. Kuga" embroidered on them, beside her feet.

"Ready?"

Aishu merely shrugged in reply. Since Shizuru worked as Azuba High School, she was able to bring the girl back and forth to Azuba Middle as it was right next to it.

"You nervous?" she asked as they took off.

"Not really. I've done the new school routine a thousand times."

"Well, I hope you like it there. It's really a great school and I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends."

"What's the point? I'm leaving after new year's anyways."

"It's always good to make friends." Shizuru told her. "In fact, there is a girl the same age as you who is going to be meeting you at the gate today.

Aishu's brows furrowed a bit when she heard this.

"What do you mean a girl is meeting me?"

"Well you see, Natsuki and I have really good friends that also have kids in middle school. Our friends Yukino and Haruka have a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and our friends Mai and Mikoto have a daughter named Chiyo. Chiyo is the one meeting you today to help show you around. I believe Mai, who is also a teacher there, said you two were in her class, which is even better."

Aishu flopped her head back, clearly annoyed. Not only was she going to be surrounded by too many people, but some strange girl was going to meet her, too?

"_This should be interesting._"

After this, the rest of the ride continued in silence, Aishu not really in a talking mood, and after ten minutes of driving, they arrived at the middle school's front gate.

"Here we are." She said, coming to a stop.

Wanting to get this day done and over with, she unbuckled herself and attempted to leave without a word.

"Hey wait! You forgot something!"

Confused at this, seeing as she had everything, she turned to face the woman again. She then watched as Shizuru reached inside of her tote bag and pull out something she wasn't expecting.

"A…bento?"

"Of course!" Shizuru said with a smile. "I made it for you early this morning."

"You did?" Aishu asked, her voice a little softer compared to her usual sarcastic tone.

"Mhm! I hope you like everything in there. If you find something you don't like, let me know and I will be sure not to use it in the future."

Aishu locked gazes with the other, a clear look of confusion on her face.

"In the future…you mean you're going to make me on every day?"

"Yes. I love doing those kinds of things and it makes me really happy to do it for you."

Aishu looked down at the red bento box in her hand, a small pink tinge growing on her face. She couldn't tell you the last time someone had made a bento for her, and with it being that long, she wasn't really expecting one.

"_She made this for…me? And she wants to keep making them for me?_"

That thought warmed the girl's heart up immediately and there was no way she could fight it at this moment. She was actually a bit touched. No, she wasn't going to suddenly become all mushy and hug the woman…definitely not, but instead let two little words softly leave her lips.

"Thank you…"

Shizuru's smile grew.

"You're welcome, little one." She replied, squeezing the girl's arm lovingly. "Thank you for letting me make them for you."

Blushing a little deeper, she nodded, sticking the box gently into her backpack and stepping out of the door.

"You have a good day now. And if you need anything, I am right next door in the high school building. Third floor, room 307."

Aishu simply nodded again.

"All right then. I will meet you here after school. See you later, cutie."

And with that, Aishu shut the door and watched her drive off.

Once she was alone, aside from random students passing her, she found herself dumbfounded at the whole mini event that had taken place. Sure, it wouldn't be that big a deal to other kids, but it was a huge one to the little girl. Despite her previous actions and attitudes, they were still being sincerely nice and caring for her. Logically, it just didn't make sense.

"_But when are feelings ever logical?_"

Cursing yet again at the voice in the back of her mind, she turned and decided to drop it for now. She didn't need to be all warm and fuzzy like before school. So, after letting out a sigh, she turned and faced the building.

"_I just want to get this over with…"_

Azuba Middle School. The huge building in all its white and shiny splendor. The building she would be stuck in until winter vacation. The building that had way too many people for Aishu's liking.

"_I'm sure you will make a lot of new friends!_"

Shizuru's words echoed through her mind. As much as having friends would be nice, she knew it was better not to.

"_You won't finish the year here anyways, so why would-_"

"Oi, day dreamer."

The sudden voice took her out of her thoughts, and if the voice wasn't enough to get her attention, the poke to the side of her head did the job.

"Ow…what the-"

Looking to her side, she saw herself facing another middle school student like her, long silver hair flowing perfectly over her shoulders, her grey eyes gleaming, and a warm smile gracing her face.

"Hello, Ai-chan! I'm Chiyo. Chiyo Tokiha."

As the other eleven year old introduced herself, Aishu couldn't help but become a little transfixed, blushing a little as she listened. She quickly remedied this moment, however, by turning away and crossing her arms over her chest.

"D-don't just go up to random people and poke their heads. I usually hit people who do that."

"You mean…you want to hit me?" she asked, her eyes suddenly watering up, her face looking sad.

Aishu nearly freaked. Where did those tears even come from?

"Wh-what? No! I mean…ugh. Don't look like that! Baka! No I don't want to hit you. And how did you even know I was Aishu? There are a lot of kids at this gate."

The sad look instantly disappeared as if it hadn't existed, a happier one replacing it as she pulled out her phone.

"Cause of the pictures Shizu-chan and Natsu-chan send to my parents. I have a whole collection of them on my phone. The ones where you are trying to get away from hugs are absolutely adorable, but this one has to be my favorite!"

Chiyo then showed her the phone, the picture pulled up consisting of Aishu passed out in bed.

"Kawaiiiiiii! I wonder what Ai-chan dreams about…"

Aishu's face was now a deep red, a series of gawks and squeaks leaving her. Shizuru and Natsuki sent pictures of her to their friends? On no, she was so going to have it out with them later.

"B-baka! Don't call those cute! And why do you have them if they were sent to your parents!?"

Chiyo simply giggled and put the phone away.

"My mom is already in the classroom. Since she is out homeroom teacher and our teacher for most of the day, I told her I would bring you up early!"

"Well, I don-t"

"Come on!"

And before Aishu could react, Chiyo grabbed her by the hand, pulled her down the cement entrance way and then into the school.

"T-Tohika-san! Will you s-stop! Let me go!"

Surprisingly enough, she did, coming to a quick stop and turning to face the other. It wasn't, however, for the reasons Aishu had hoped for.

"That won't work." She said, poking Aishu in the forehead. "It's not Tohika-san. Call me Chiyo-chan! Chi-yo-chan."

"What if I don't want to call you Chiyo-chan? I hardly know you so why-"

Aishu stopped herself before finishing her sentence. How could she go on when those grey eyes began watering up again?

"Baka! Don't start that again! Fine! Fine! I'll call you Chiyo-chan!"

Chiyo's sad gaze immediately turned happy, a huge grin on her face as well.

"Thank you, Ai-chan! You're the best!"

"_I can already tell she is going to drive me crazy…_"

After letting out a sigh, she shot the other a slightly annoyed gaze.

"Stop looking at me like that. Now, will you hurry up and show me where the hell we're going?"

"Of course! It's right up here!"

After dropping off their outdoor shoes into their shoe lockers and slipping on their indoor ones, the two went up a set of stairs and took a right at the top. A few doors down they reached a brown door with a sign that read "Star Class 7".

"Here we are."

Opening the door, she stepped inside, Aishu following behind.

"We're here, Mom!"

"Well hey you."

Chiyo went over and hugged the smiling adult, the woman sporting orange hair and a grey women's dress suit. Seeing the mother and daughter hug immediately made her think of Shizuru and Natsuki, but she quickly dismissed the thought, forgetting it when Chiyo continued talking.

"This is Aishu Hinamori, Mom. The one staying with Natsu-chan and Shizu-chan."

Mai turned her attention to the new comer, a warm smile following.

"So you're the one Natsuki and Shizuru always keep talking about. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Oh great…not only do they take pictures and send them out, but they talk about me, too?" she asked, rubbing her temple. "Remind me to yell at them later…"

Mai giggled at this reply.

"They have taking quite a liking to you it seems. I find it sweet that you always seem to be the topic of their conversations."

Aishu simply muttered inaudible words, walking away and taking a seat a few desks down in the first row.

"I'll sit right behind you, Ai-chan!" Chiyo said excitedly, following behind.

Aishu didn't even bother to stop her, knowing it was pointless to even try.

"So how do you like your stay so far?"

The girl shrugged back.

"I'm surviving. It would be a whole lot better if they stopped hugging me 24/7.

Mai giggled again at this.

"Good luck with that, Shizuru especially is a known hugger."

"Good morning!"

Not long after the two girls sat, two more students, a boy and a girl, came walking in.

"Good morning you two." Mai told them. "It's nice to see you."

"Hi everyone!" Chiyo called, waving at them. "Look whose here!"

"All right!" The boy shouted. "The new girl is here!"

"_Holy jeeze someone help me…_"

The two came over and took a seat, the boy next to Aishu and the girl next to Chiyo.

"_How is it that they know about me, too?" _Aishu asked herself, slightly confused and slightly flustered at the attention she was getting. However, as she looked at them a bit closer, she noticed how they both seemed to look alike despite being a boy and a girl. Both had jet black hair and black eyes to match. They were also the same exact height and had similar facial features. Were these the twins Shizuru mentioned earlier?

"I was really excited to hear Natsu-chan and Shizu-chan were going to be taking you in!" said the girl. "Even more so when we found out you were going to be in our class. I'm Rei by the way! Rei Suzushiro."

"And I am her twin brother, Daichi." The boy said after. "All of our parents are really good friends. It's nice to meet you Ai-chan!"

Aishu stared at the three of them with an expressionless look before finally turning away, closing her eyes and resting her chin in her hand.

"You guys are way too happy in the morning."

"Oooooh, she's so cool!" Rei said excitedly. "And the pictures didn't lie, she really is cute!"

Aishu's eyes popped right back open again, her gaze back on them in disbelief.

"Wh-what? You guys have pictures, too?!"

The three of them, and even Mai, couldn't help but laugh, the brunette cursing as she turned away again. Most kids generally left her alone so she was not used to this type of attention at all. Thankfully, other students began filing in, class starting soon after.

"_This is going to be a long day."_

**Lunch**

The morning actually went pretty good. Despite the mishaps from when she first arrived, the classes were great. Aishu, even though she hated being around other people like this, loved to learn. It was a distraction for her, and she happily accepted any type of distraction

When lunch time came, she was actually a little excited to try her bento. What she didn't realize what the fact that she wasn't going to be eating alone.

"Eat with us, Ai-chan!" Chiyo said, not really giving her a chance to say no, dragging the girl behind the other two. "We always eat by a huge tree on the grass."

After being dragged outside, she unwillingly sat down beside them near the aforementioned tree. She tried to get out of it, but that only caused Chiyo to flash her watery eyes, Aishu giving right in.

"Jeeze, you guys are impossible." She muttered, getting comfortable and pulling the bento from her bag. When she opened it, her grumpiness was temporarily put on hold, the contents looking absolutely amazing. Rice balls, fish, apples…it all looked so good! The most surprising part of it was the little note that fell out when she opened it.

_"Good luck on your first day of school. We hope you enjoy! Love, Natsuki and Shizuru._"

A pink tinge grew on her cheeks as she read it. Not only was lunch made for her, but she was left with sweet words, too. Those two still had a way of inflicting warmth upon her even if they weren't in her presence.

"Aww!" Chiyo said as she looked at it. "That's so sweet." A warm look then fell upon her face, her eyes glimmering softly as if she were reminiscing. "It must be great living with Shizu and Natsu-chan. I remember when my moms first took me in…"

"Aishu, who had a mouth full of rice, froze for a moment when she heard this.

"Wait, took you in?"

"Yes." Chiyo replied brightly. "I was four when they first fostered me, and a year later, I got adopted by them. In fact, we were all foster kids."

Aishu glanced at the twins and they nodded in return.

"That's right!" said Rei. "Daichi and I were taken in by our moms when we were six."

"And they adopted us not long after we turned seven." Daichi added. "Shizu and Natsu - chan always wanted kids, so it's nice to see that they got to take you in."

Aishu's heart froze as she listened. They were all orphans like she was? She should have expected it in a way knowing they each had moms, but it didn't quite hit her. What shook her even more was something Daichi had said.

"_They wanted…kids? So they decide to foster one…me. But they wouldn't want me in the end. Just because the others got adopted doesn't mean I will. I mean, I have been fostered before and never stayed. Why would this be any different…but then again, no one else has been quite like them…do I…have a chance?"_

Her mind was racing now, and she was actually going to question Daichi more about it, but before she could, they were rudely interrupted by another boy.

"Well look, if it isn't the residential rejects."

Aishu looked up to find a tall boy with blonde hair, sporting a very smug look on his face.

"Go away, Heero." Rei told him. It's the first day of school. Don't you have better things to do?"

"Better than teasing a bunch of parentless jokes? What's better than that?"

"We aren't parentless." Chiyo told him. "You know we all have moms."

"Oh, excuse me, that's right. You were "adopted." I forgot that you actually think that means something."

"It does!" Rei snapped back. "They love us!"

Heero only snickered at this.

"Sure they do. Just like your birth parents, right? Yeah, your first parents loved you so much that they dumped you."

"Shut up!" Daichi said, getting angry. "They do love us. What do you know anyways? For someone who claims to be so smart you're the dumbest kid I have ever seen."

"Watch it, Suzuhiro." He growled. He was about to say something else, but that is when his blue eyes met Aishu's.

"Well look at this…what do we have here? Another reject?"

"Aishu is not a reject." Chiyo told him, getting defensive. "And leave her alone. She just moved here."

Heero paid no mind to the silver haired female.

"So tell me _Aishu, _are you like them? Some silly foster kid?"

Keeping her cool, she simply shut her bento box and eyed him squarely.

"I am a foster kid." She said coolly. "What's it to you?"

"So another unloved nerd. Let me guess, you think your adopted parents love you, too?"

"I am not adopted." She said, almost snapping. "And I don't have parents. They are just two people I stay with for now."

Heero's eyes widened when he heard this, almost breaking out into full blown laughter.

"You mean you are what, eleven years old, and have no family? Ha! You are worse off than these losers! You must really suck to have no one want you."

At this, Daichi stood up, his fists clenched.

"If you don't shut up now, I swear I am going to go over there and make you shut up."

Heero pretended to be scared, only snickering at the comment.

"Whatever loser boy. I have things to do anyways. See you freaks around. And Aishu?"

The brunette shot a dark look at him.

"If you haven't found anyone to adopt you at this point, then you are really unwanted. No one wants a kid like you."

And with that, he took off.

"He seriously pisses me off." Daichi said, sitting back down. "Just because he has everything handed to him he thinks he rules the school."

"Thank god he is a year ahead of us. He will be leaving when this school year is older." Added Rei.

"…Ai-chan?"

Chiyo, who was eying the brunette with worry, sat a little bit closer to her.

"Ai-chan…are you alright?"

Aishu still had that dark, angered look on her face, her eyes cast down to the ground.

"Don't listen to him, Ai-chan." Rei told her. "He doesn't know anything. He is just a bully and a liar."

"Really, Ai-chan, you're not unwanted or anything." Daichi told her. "We mean it when we say that they were excited to take you in. You-"

"I have to use the bathroom."

Daichi when silent when Aishu spoke.

"Ai-chan…" Chiyo said softly. "I-"

"No…I have to go. Just…leave me alone."

And without a second thought, she threw the bento into her bag and tore off in a run. Once she was inside, she ran to the nearest bathroom and locked herself in a stall.

"_You mean you are what, eleven years old and have no family? Ha!"_

Aishu clenched at her chest, the warm feelings now gone and the old feelings of hurt and anger rising again.

"_You are worse off than these losers! You must really suck to have no one want you."_

Was that true? If no one had wanted her at this point, was she really unwanted? It was actually a thought process that had crossed her mind before, but even in the short weeks with Natsuki and Shizuru, the warmth sprouted more than it had ever with anyone else. Even if she was against it and even if she fought it, a bit of hope even surfaced. And when they others told her their stories, Daichi mentioning that Natsuki and Shizuru wanted kids, that hope grew just a little bit more.

"_But it was stupid for you to let it. See what happens when you let the warmth get to you? They may want kids, but what makes you think they want a kid like you?"_

Questions and doubt filled the young child's mind as her thoughts raced, her own words as well as Heero's words echoing inside of her mind.

"_If you haven't found anyone to adopt you at this point, then you are really unwanted. No one wants a kid like you."_

He was right. It was true. No one had ever wanted her. What Natsuki and Shizuru were doing has to be a fluke. No adult would want to warm up a kid that fast. It was impossible.

"It is impossible…" she said quietly to herself. "It is…they lie. It's fake warmth…it's not real. I am unwanted. I am just another orphan. They don't really care about me…"

She clenched her fists tightly.

_"But…if they don't then…then_…"

She slid to the floor and hid her face.

"_Why does part of me still believe they do_?"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you are enjoying the book so far. Many things have started to happen and so much more will happen in the future, too! What will Aishu do in the end? Thank you again to those who read and feel free to leave reviews! **

_Lost in the darkness_

_Hoping for a sign_

_Instead there's only silence_

_Can't you hear my screams?_

Chapter 5: Possibilities

_Lost…_

"_Poke poke…poke poke."_

It was a very beautiful June morning, two months having passed since Aishu had first come to stay with Natsuki and Shizuru. In that time period, most things remained the same. The three kids she met on her first day of school hung around her even if she was against the company, her two temporary guardians still kept up with their hugging sprees, and Aishu _still_ yelled at them for it every time it happened. With all the hugs and caring they gave to the girl, one would think that young Aishu would understand that their actions were sincere at this point, but of course, she did not. She was still oblivious, her own past experiences keeping her from seeing clearly. Heero, the bully she also met on her first school day, didn't help either. Every time he found her, he would make fun of her for still being an orphan and remind her of how unwanted she was…and the words always stuck. There was still a chance though, for no matter how much they lingered in her mind, there was still a small hope in her heart that he was very wrong. She just needed the right push to really believe it.

"_Poke…poke poke."_

"Nyaaaaa…"

Now normally, weekends or not, the eleven year old was always up early. On this particular Saturday, however, this little girl had still been tucked up in her bed, curled up comfortably beneath a thin blanket. She could thank Natsuki for the fact that she was sleeping in. You see, every night from 4pm to 9:30pm, Natsuki taught Karate at the dojo she owned, and when she came back the previous night from her work, she ended up talking about how well some of her younger students picked up on how to properly punch. One thing led to another, and the next thing she knew, she was unwillingly in the middle of the living room taking lessons on how to punch from Natsuki. It took a lot of coaxing and prodding, but Aishu eventually did it just to shut them up.

"_Poke…poke."_

Aishu scrunched her nose when she felt the warmth of the sun hit her face as it crept into her room, her brows furrowing slightly a she slowly began to wake. After a few moments, she gave a big stretch, yawning and squeaking as she did so. Rolling over, she curled up yet again, semi-conscious now. She had to admit that she loved waking up in her nice warm bed with the sweet spring scent of the household surrounding her. What she loved even more was waking up to the feeling of the sun on her face like it did today.

"_Poke._"

But apparently, the sun wasn't the only thing touching her face that morning.

"What the…"

Something had been poking at her cheek. After rubbing it, she slowly opened her eyes. Now, if she had been more awake, she would have been so much more aware of her surroundings, but seeing as she was all groggy and sleep fluffy, it took her a good minute or so to gain sight and process what was in front of her.

Well…more like…who.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

….

"N-nyaa!"

Like a bat out of hell, Aishu jumped and shot from her bed, falling right out of it and landing onto the floor with a thump.

"Ow…"

Slowly sitting back up, her baby browns peeked over the edge and stared over at the person who had decided to make herself comfortable there this morning, her own eyes like daggers.

"What…do you think…you are doing…"

The taller brunette simply giggled at this reaction.

"Ara, I just thought it would be wonderful to come and personally wake you up myself. "

"Get…out."

"But there's something I want to tell you!"

"Out!"

She quickly grabbed a nearby pillow and launched it in Shizuru's direction, the woman easily dodging it.

"You know you look absolutely adorable when you're sleeping, right?"

"I said out!"

"Did you know that you talk in your sleep as well? It's just so sweet!"

"You little…"

Crawling back onto the bed, she reached for another pillow to throw at the other, but Shizuru moved much quicker, and before the younger girl could make her move, the woman gently tackled her onto the bed and began snuggling her up.

"Wh-what? Y-you…let me go!"

Snuggling, in Aishu's mind, was ten times worse than hugging.

"But I can't!" she said back, nuzzling the girl's cheek warmly. "I love holding you! It's not my fault you're so cute."

"I am not cute!" she snapped, a blush on her face as she struggled to get free, but Shizuru had a good, firm grip.

"Aww, yes you are! You're just so tiny and adorable and those big baby browns are just so sweet! I could snuggle you all day!"

"No, you can't! It's not allowed! Now get off!"

"But I really can't. You're just so snuggleable, but, if you really don't want this, there is something that _could _make me let go, but I don't know…"

"What?!"

"Well…"

"Tell me!"

Aishu was desperate at this point, a battle between whether or not she liked it going on inside of her. The "not liking it" side was obviously winning, so she would basically do anything to get out right about now.

"Well, very soon, Natsuki and I are going to go shop at the mall. Summer vacation will be here before we know it and there are a few things we want to get. We'd love it if you came along."

"What?" Spend the day with them? Unless she absolutely had to be around them, she avoided them like the plague. She had to or the warm feelings would get over whelming, and she wasn't too sure if she wanted to give into them fully yet. Now, they wanted to go out and spend the day with her? She did not like this idea at all, but, in the end, if it got her out of snuggles…

"F-fine! Fine! I'll go! Now move!"

"Will you let us buy you things?"

That was yet another battle the three had between each other. Aishu would not allow either of them to buy things for her like clothes, gifts, etc. It made her feel funny.

"Excuse me?"

"We want to buy you things!"

"I don't think so. I don't need anything from you."

"You don't want us buying anything for you?"

"No!"

"Aww…well ok then. " Pulling the girl a closer, she snuggled her up a little tighter. "I guess I will just have to hold you all…day…long." She then nuzzled her cheek one more time before placing a warm kiss on it.

Now this…this did her in.

"Ok! Ok ok!" Her face was redder than a tomato and she fought tooth and nail to get free. "I'll go! I'll spend the day with both of you and you can buy me whatever! Now get off!"

After giggling again and giving another light nuzzle, Shizuru finally let go and slipped off the bed.

"One of these days, you will see just how adorable you are."

"I will not…"

Grabbing another pillow, she threw it at the woman again, still missing as Shizuru dodged it and backed out of the door.

"We are going to spoil you so much today, Ai-chan! You'll have so much fun! We'll be leaving in a half hour or so, and oh, breakfast is ready if you are hungry, too."

"I'm not!" she snapped, walking to the door all flustered. "I'm not hungry, I will not have fun being stuck with you two, and don't call me Ai-chan!"

And with that, she slammed the door shut, pressing her back upon it and sliding down till she hit the floor.

"_What is her deal?"_

She really thought that with all of the fighting and all of the issues she gave in regards to affection as well as all the pushing away she did that they would understand that she didn't want any of it and leave her alone. Every other adult in the past got the picture, so why didn't they? Why, after almost two and a half months of her acting like this, did it seem like they were getting more affectionate instead of less?

Now, normally after an incident like that, Aishu would be spitting and sputtering in anger, but…she was alone, and in being alone, the warm feelings she usually hid around the others began to surface.

"_What's happening to me…_"

She placed her hand over her heart, exploring the foreign emotions that swam in her chest. Before coming here, she had all of her emotions under control. Her thoughts and her feelings were on the same page, knowing full well that the only person in the whole world she could count on was herself. Now, her feelings fought with her thoughts, resulting in a lot of confusion for the poor girl. Her mind knew that everything that had to do with affection or family was bad, but her heart…her heart was slowly starting to change, and that scared her. That scared her a lot.

"_I don't get it…I wanted her to let me go so badly. I didn't want snuggle, but at the same time…I…I didn't want her to let me go…"_

She let out a sigh and flopped her head on her knees.

"_No Aishu. Impossible. Snuggling is for babies and you're not a baby. Maybe you wanted this once upon a time, but not anymore. The only thing that will happen is you getting hurt. It has always been that way and it always will be. They really don't care for you that much…_"

Then why did it suddenly feel like an effort to convince herself to believe the way she used to? Was it because the previous events were nice? She had after all woken up to someone who wanted to wish her good morning and then hold her. No adult had ever done that before, and then…

She slipped her hand over her cheek, the warmth from the motherly kiss still left behind.

"…Whatever."

Sighing again, she stood up and walked away, digging through her drawers for a pair of black shorts and a light blue t-shirt. She tried shaking off what had happened, but no matter what she did, she couldn't do it. No matter what, the warmth stayed glued to her heart.

* * *

"Ara! I love shopping for summer clothes, and it looks like they are carrying a lot of cool things this year, too. Don't you think, Ai-chan?"

Cringing slightly at the name she did not wish to be called, she grumbled out a yes, keeping a slight distance between herself and the other two.

Seeing that the child wasn't at all happy, Natsuki turned and faced her wife with mild confusion.

"Ne…how did you manage to convince her to come and to let us buy her stuff? She doesn't really look like she wants to be here."

Shizuru, bearing a long white shirt and a violet top, simply smiled and slipped her hand into Natsuki's.

"I didn't do much. I only woke up with her, snuggled her, and threatened to do so all day if she didn't come along. Oh, I also kissed her on the cheek."

Natsuki snickered, smiling a bit as she looked back at the distracted Aishu.

"Threatening with snuggles. That's got to be the first time I have ever seen that used."

"Hey, it got her here didn't it? She deserves some spoiling."

"She does, but do you really think this will work?" Natsuki asked. "You know, constantly hugging her and trying to be affectionate…all that stuff. It's been over two months and she still freaks out over it."

"It will." Shizuru replied. "It's just gonna take a bit of time. I know she likes it even if she fights if off. No worries my love, she'll come around."

The three of them continued walking along in silence, Aishu lost in her own little world as she peeked into different stores. They only stopped when Natsuki pulled out her cellphone from her pocket. Like Aishu, she was sporting the shorts and shirt look, except her shorts were tan and she was wearing a black halter.

"It's around 9:30am now, and we were planning for lunch around noon. Wanna just start from one end of the mall and work our way down?"

"Sounds good to me." Shizuru replied. "Ai-chan?"

Aishu just shrugged, wanting nothing more than to just get this day over with.

When all were in agreement, the three entered the first store and worked their way down. There were music stores, book stores, clothing stores, and more. Luckily, for Aishu, she wasn't bothered so much, always finding a way to escape out on her own. She agreed to go out with them, not spend every second with them. She also figured if she escaped and spent more time on her own in the stores, it would be harder to snag her and try to buy her something. To be honest, Aishu hadn't found anything she liked, that was until the fifth store. After escaping yet again, she wandered into the clothing section, items being shown roughly her size. The first thing that caught her eye was a green sundress. Walking over to it, she let her hand rub over the surface.

"_So soft…_"

"Sneak attack!"

Out of nowhere, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and soon found herself in a tight embrace.

"B-baka!"

Aishu quickly broke from the grip, turning around and finding both women standing there, Shizuru behind the hugging of course.

"Not in public!"

"Oh, so you mean we can hug you freely at home?" Natsuki asked.

"No! Never!"

Shizuru only giggled at this before nodding over to the clothing item Aishu had been looking at.

"Do you like that sundress?" she asked the girl.

Aishu, a little too prideful to admit anything, stepped away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I don't."

"It looked like you did. I saw how you were staring at it."

"I wasn't staring!"

"Really, do you like it?"

"What does it matter?"

"Well, if you like it, you should try it on." Natsuki told her.

Aishu glanced over at both women, the two returning the gaze with a warm smile.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Shizuru asked.

"I already know I won't look good in it."

"And you know this how?"

"I just do!"

Walking over to the dress, Shizuru picked it up off the rack and held it out to the little girl. Looking up, she half expected the woman to push her into doing it, but when their gazes met, the look she received was much different. It was warm and very much encouraging.

"Come on." She said softly. "I bet it will look great on you. Give it a shot…you never know. I mean, you really don't have to if you don't want to, but I really think you should give it a try."

Aishu was actually pretty warmed up by the encouragement, and because of that, she finally agreed to at least try it.

"_I can't believe I am doing this…_" she thought, and she really couldn't. Aishu was a known fighter, but something about Shizuru's words and the warmth she gave seemed to keep the resilient side at bay.

After slipping it on, she took a small deep breath and stepped out of the dressing room for the waiting couple to see.

"Aww…see? What did I tell you?" Shizuru said with a smile.

"It's not that great…"

"It is, too!" Natsuki told her. "Take a look for yourself."

Sighing again, she turned to face the mirror that was in front of the door, and when she saw her reflection, she actually froze. They _were _right. It didn't look bad on her. In fact, Aishu really loved how it looked.

Through the mirror she watched as Natsuki stepped behind, smiling at the young female.

"It's cute. You really do look pretty, you know that?"

A deep blush appeared on Aishu's face, the warmth sparking in her heart keeping her from arguing. No one had ever called her pretty before.

"She does look pretty! And look, a hat to match!"

Turning, she saw Shizuru walking towards her with a matching green sun hat.

"Uh, no. That's ok. We really don't need to-"

"But it was too late. Shizuru had placed the hat on her head before the sentence could even be finished.

"And look, you see those sandals? Those would go well, too. And look at that!"

"Shizuru-san, I-"

But it was no use. Shizuru had grabbed her by the wrist and went on a crazy search for things that matched. Let's just say that by the time they left the store, not only did Aishu have the dress, but she also had the hat, a green shell necklace, matching green flip flops, a green bracelet, and a small green back pack. And by the time lunch time rolled around…

"Holy jeeze…"

Not only did she have the dress and the matching accessories, but she also had new books, new hair clips, more outfits, a blue beach towel and a white bathing suit. Three whole bags of goods that were just for her. She had never owned so many things in her life!

"Th-thank you…" a very red faced Aishu stuttered out as they walked. She and been completely and utterly spoiled and was unsure how to handle it.

"You're welcome love." Shizuru answered.

"You deserve it." Natsuki added. "Did you have fun?"

Aishu nodded shyly. In truth, she really did have fun.

The rest of the walk continued in silence. They were planning to go home and eat, but a few familiar faces stopped them.

"Hey, look who it is." Said Natsuki.

Looking up, she saw four adults, one in which she recognized, and three of her classmates.

"Ai-chaaaaaaan!"

Chiyo's eyes lit up when she saw her, the silver haired female literally running over to glomp the girl, Aishu taken a bit off guard.

"Ch-chiyo-chan!"

"Hi, Ai-chan! I missed you!"

"What do you mean you missed me? We just saw each other yesterday."

"I know…but I always miss you when you're gone!"

"Hey, Ai-chan!"

Rei and Daichi caught up to Chiyo, their parents following behind.

"Hey…" she said quietly.

"Hey strangers." Natsuki called, the other adults greeting both women back.

"Natsuki! Shizuru!" Mai said. "Funny seeing you here."

"We thought we'd do a little summer shopping." Shizuru told them, placing a hand on Aishu's shoulder. "And we thought we'd spoil Ai-chan a bit, too."

"How are you, Aishu?" Mai asked, the girl just shrugging in return.

"So this is the kid you can't shut up about." said a woman with golden hair. "All I ever hear about from that Shizuru is Aishu this and Aishu that and Aishu did the cutest thing today! She has sent me so many pictures of you that I could full an entire photo album. Though I will say, I don't blame you for trying to get out of her hugs. If Shizuru was trying to hug me, I'd run, too."

"It's nice to see you, too, Haruka." Shizuru said in reply.

"Haruka…" said a brown haired woman with glasses. "I promise, Aishu, they really are good friends. My name is Yukino. We're Rei's and Daichi's parents. After hearing a lot about you, it's nice that we can finally meet."

"Uh…yeah…thanks…" Aishu said lowly. She wasn't always very good with strangers.

"And I don't think I have ever introduced you to my wife," Mai chirped in, the mentioned woman waving to the girl. "This is Mikoto. She actually works with Natsuki at the dojo."

Aishu kept her eyes low as they continued to speak, her shyness starting to kick in even more.

"You know…we were just about to eat." Mai told them. "Would you three like to join us?"

"That actually sounds nice." Shizuru answered. "We were just about to eat ourselves."

And with that, they all headed to the food court to eat, the adults at one table and the kids at the other.

"It's great that we ran into each other, Ai-chan." Rei said as they ate.

"Yeah, it is!" Daichi added. "We all need to hang out more often outside of school. Would you be cool with that, Ai-chan?"

Aishu, who was eating some ramen, looked up with a little blush.

"You mean…me too?"

"Well duh." answered Chiyo, poking the brunette in the forehead. "You're our friend, too. Of course you're coming along."

Aishu blushed a little more at this. They were her…friends? Well, she knew that they had classes together and always hung out at school when they could, Chiyo always dragging Aishu along, but she didn't really think they looked at her like a friend. It was actually kind of…nice.

"And you know what, summer vacation starts next month." Rei mentioned. "We should go to the beach for the night!"

"Yes! We so should! Our moms have a beach house up there!" Daichi told them. "We so need to do this. Ne, Haru-kaa-chan! Yuki-kaa-chan!"

Both women turned towards their son.

"Do you think we can go to the beach next month?" he asked. "Aishu's new here and I think it would be cool if we all got together!"

"Yeah mom, please?" Rei asked excitedly. "We had so much fun last year!"

Yukino thought about it for a moment.

"You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Haruka?"

"Yes!" she shouted, standing up and throwing her fist in the air. "We shall! Only then will I be able to beat Shizuru in volley ball once and for all!"

"Don't ask…" Rei whispered to a confused Aishu. "Shizuru and Haru-kaa-chan have apparently been rivals since high school."

"Oh dear…" Yukino said softly. She remembered what happened last year, the match ending with a huge lump on her wife's head. "Uh, what about you guys?"

"I think that's a great idea!" Shizuru answered. "We have a beach house up there as well, and Mai can stay with us if she wanted, too."

"Works for me." Natsuki said.

"We're up for it, too!" Mai added.

"Fish!" Mikoto squeaked with a happy gaze.

"Then it's settled." Yukino told them. "We'll pick a date, and next month we will go."

"All right!" Both Rei and Daichi said at the same time, high fiving each other.

"You're gonna have so much fun, Ai-chan." Chiyo told her. "I love the beach!"

In all honesty, Aishu had never been to a beach before, and though she didn't show it, she was really excited about the news. At the beach with friends? How could that not be fun?

"_Perhaps this whole friend and family thing isn't so bad after all…_

"And you know what, Ai-chan?" Chiyo asked, a sudden sly tone in her voice. "I think this swim suit is going to look nice on you."

Aishu turned to find the girl going through her things, blushing at the comment.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"And don't forget…if you have trouble, I don't mind helping you put it on…"

"Ch-Ch-Chiyo!"

All three of them cracked up at this. Chiyo had taken a liking to teasing Aishu, and the others found it highly entertaining.

"Jeeze, you're such a pain." She told the grey eyed female. Standing up, she grabbed her empty ramen container and turned away. "I'm going to through this out…baka."

And with that, she took off. As she wandered to the trashcan, she let her mind wander on today's events. A lot of firsts happened. Her first snuggle, her first time getting spoiled, her first time being invited by people she could call friends… it was all very different.

"_But…I like it._" She thought. For the first time in her life, she legit felt wanted and cared for. She felt happy.

"_Maybe…maybe letting them in more wouldn't be so bad. Maybe the hugs and the snuggles…maybe those are all good. Maybe trusting them would be ok._"

A small smile crept across her face, the warmth in her chest growing by the second.

"_I could…be happy. I think I can be…safe here. Maybe I should let them hug me next time. I think I could-_"  
"Well, look who it is."

Aishu was suddenly pulled from her happy thoughts by another familiar voice, but the person was someone Aishu didn't want to see.

"Heero?"

The twelve year old boy leaned back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey loser. I see you're hanging out with those other rejects today."

"They aren't rejects!" she snapped, shooting him a disgusted look.

"Whatever, but hey, I am only here to ask a question. You see, I was walking by and happened to hear that you got spoiled today by the people you live with. You know, that high school teacher and the dark haired chick." He nodded over to the bags he saw by the table. "I take it they took you shopping?"

Aishu glanced back at the table where her friends and the bags were before returning his gaze.

"Yeah, so. What of it?"

"Well, I was just wondering. Do you _really _think they did that just to spoil you?"

Aishu was a little confused at the question.

"Um, they said they did. They said they wanted to spoil me."

"Ah, but what they say and how they really feel are two different things."

"….Are you implying that they lied? If you are, you're wrong."

"Am I?" he asked, raising a brow. "Think about it. You're eleven, right? Been in foster homes all your life, but not once have you been adopted."

Aishu looked away, those memories hitting her as he spoke.

"I bet all those adults said they cared too, right? They said you were a great kid?"

Aishu's brows furrowed as she thought about it. There were a few who did, but in the end…they were all lies…

"Well, if you were such a great kid, why did they always ship you out? Why did you never stay? There must have been something wrong with you."

Aishu's heart was starting to feel heavy, but she fought back. She wasn't gonna fall for it.

"Shut up…you don't know anything."

Heero simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm just saying, you must have been a pain if they all kicked you out. What makes you think you aren't a pain to them?

"I'm not."

"Are you sure? Do you make them happy? Are they head over heels to have you in their house?"

Aishu froze when she heard this question. We're they happy? She didn't give them hugs when they asked…she refused to let anyone snuggle…she was always sarcastic with them…but…

"I'll take that as a no." He said with a smirk. He really loved ruining people's lives, and took pleasure in attempting to do so with his new victim. "So think about it. If they aren't happy with you, then why would they spoil you?"

"_If they aren't happy…why would they…_"

"I think that in the beginning, they may have been happy, but now, they have just given up. I think they bought you all this stuff just to gain your trust and make you feel like you're doing nothing wrong, and then the next chance they have, they're just gonna dump you like everyone else."

"That's not true!" Aishu said, a hint of desperation in her voice. "That's not! They do care. They told me!"

"And you believed them?" he snorted. "And here I thought you were smarter than that. You have only been here what, two months? Do you really think that people who you aren't even related to you can love and care for you that quickly?"

"I…well…I…"

Aishu's heart hurt again. In truth, all their spoiling and affection did happen pretty fast.

"I'm telling you, it's a trick. Maybe if you started out as their kid, they would love you quickly. But you're not their child, so why would they care for you so fast? They only bought you all that stuff so you would trust them, not because they wanted to. "

"_Just to make me…trust them? Not because they wanted to?"_

"And then right when you start liking them, they plan on dumping you back into the system. One less problem for them to deal with."

The happiness Aishu had in her chest was now gone. She didn't want to believe him…she tried to fight it, but it all made so much sense.

"I…no…"

"Give it up, Aishu. Stop thinking that you're wanted. You're not. The sooner you understand that the better. I told you already, if no one wanted you before this, then no one wants you now."

Heero smiled. He pushed Aishu's button real well and was proud of his work.

"_Stupid orphan._" He thought.

"Anyways loser, I have to go. I have a real family waiting for me."

And with that, he walked off, leaving the young girl in shock.

"_They did this just because they just wanted me to trust them? They don't really care? I'm a pain and don't make them happy?"_

Aishu wasn't sure what to do or think, and by the time she returned to the table, everyone else was getting ready to leave. After that, the rest of the trip went by in a blur, and when they got home, Aishu immediately ran to her room without a word, dumping all of her new items on her bed.

"_I don't…I don't get it…_"

After leaving the mall, Aishu was forced to keep her guard up, but now that she was alone, it fell quickly, her mind racing a mile a minute.

"_Do you make them happy? Are they really head over heels to have you in their house?_"

Aishu thought hard about this question, her mind racing though all the times she was sarcastic and mean to both of them.

"_You act like that a lot…how can anybody be happy with that?"_

No adult ever could be.

"_They only bought you that stuff so you would trust them…not because they wanted to._"

That particular statement hit home for the young girl. There was actually a family she was with when she was a lot younger that did that to her. And when Shizuru told her that she was going to get spoiled today, she wondered if they did it because they wanted to. She had told herself that they did, however, because of how warm she and Natsuki were with her.

"_But they didn't do it because they wanted to…they did it because they felt like they had to…because they wanted to reel you in…Heero is right…there is no way they can care for me that fast."_

A weird feeling began creeping into her chest, traveling down to her stomach and making it feel funny. It wasn't a good feeling either, one being able to tell that from the saddened and confused look on her face. Today had been perfect…oh so perfect. She was spoiled and cared for…something she wasn't used to, but it was a lie…it was all a lie.

"_Way to go, Aishu. See what happens when you let that warmth in? See the damage that it does? That warmth isn't real, and you're a fool for thinking otherwise._"

And she was a fool. For the longest time she told herself that family was a joke, and right when she was starting to believe otherwise, it came back and bit her.

"_And to think…for a moment…I thought their kindness was real. This is what you get for being stupid. This is what you get for-"_

"Ai-chan?"

Aishu snapped out of her daze and turned, finding Natsuki standing at her doorway. She really needed to remember to shut that door when she wanted to be alone.

"Hey, I just wanted to check on you ."

"Check on me?" she asked, furrowing her brows a little, her tone of voice a little snappier than usual. "What am I, two?"

"Uh…n-no. I was just…" Natsuki was a little taken aback by this. The girl seemed so happy at the mall.

"You were just leaving." Aishu said, finishing her sentence before turning around to face her bed again. "You were leaving. I want to be alone."

Natsuki, confused and blushing a little out of embarrassment, nearly apologized and backed out, but before she could, something stopped her. Something in the look Aishu had given her…something in her tone of voice. She could remember giving Shizuru that look multiple times in school and telling the woman to leave her alone, but when she said those things, she didn't always mean it, and something inside Natsuki, a gut feeling, told her Aishu didn't mean it either. So instead of walking out, she walked closer, Aishu unknowing at first, and stopped at the girls side."

"Ai-chan?"

Aishu jumped slightly, turning to face the woman yet again, her gaze a little angrier.

"Didn't I say leave? Why are you still here?"

"_She's conflicted…_" said a voice in the blunette's mind, and her gut told her as well. Some people might have not been able to make any connection and think the girl was being serious, but for Natsuki, no…Natsuki saw something else…something she knew all too well…something she used to do herself. And when she looked to where Aishu had been looking, right at the new goods on her bed, it didn't take her long to figure out what the smaller one might have been thinking for this whole scene was very familiar. Why? Because the woman had gone through a similar situation herself once before.

"What do you want?"

"Aishu…Do you know why we bought you this stuff?"

For a moment, Aishu was silent. She wasn't expecting that type of question and it shook her slightly because at the moment, that was exactly what was on her mind.

"What does it matter?" She finally answered, turning her gaze away, her look still angry.

"Do you?"

Once again, Aishu was silent. She wasn't expecting Natsuki to question her like this, and she wasn't too sure how to feel about it. Had she given off some sign on what she was thinking? She didn't think so, so how was Natsuki dancing so close to the truth?

"Yes…" she finally said, her eyes still glued to the items on the bed.

"Why?"

"None of your business."

"Tell me why you think we did it."

"No!"

The two remained unmoving for a moment, the conversation at a standstill. Aishu had told the woman to leave, but Natsuki could see right through it. She could hear the unspoken cry for her to stick around for that cry came from her once upon a time, and even though Aishu wanted someone, she knew she was still too scared to let it out.

"We didn't do it because we had to…"

Aishu said nothing to this, Natsuki now stepping closer to the girl who still did not move. She had to find some way to get the girl to answer.

"We didn't do it because we felt it was an obligation…"

Still nothing, but she was not going to give up.

"We didn't do it because-"

"You did it to gain my trust."

_Bingo._Now she was getting somewhere.

"What?"

"I said..." she told her, now turning to face the woman. "You did it to gain my trust."

"I see…is that what you really think?"

"Why else would you?" Aishu asked, actually surprised at herself that she was speaking these words, words that wanted to be heard but she never thought she could say. She wanted to stop herself…she wanted to run, but for some reason, she could not. "I've seen it before. It's happened to me before. To get to the hearts of children, adults buy their way in. They will throw toys and goods and money the child's way, thinking they are showing love or simply doing it to get them out of their hair…like you and her. And then just went the child thinks that they are cared about, they get dumped and forgotten about. Like they never even mattered."

"You think Shizuru and I did this to win your happiness or to win your trust? You think we would just dump you?"

"You're an adult…that's what they do."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe we did it because we wanted to?"

"Not true."

"Or we did it because we wanted to show you that you were special and deserved some spoiling?'

"Shut up…"

"Or that we did it just because we care."

"You're lying!"

Aishu actually raised her voice for this, half out of anger and half out of fear. Natsuki was dancing too close to her own thoughts, reading the worries and fears the young girl had. She felt vulnerable, and she didn't like it.

"I'm not lying…"

"You are…there's no other logical explanation for the actions of the two of you. There's no way you guys could are about me so quickly."

"We do care…"

"You don't."

"We care about you."

"No you don't!" Her eyes began glazing over slightly. Natsuki was crossing onto dangerous territory. "You don't care! I'm not stupid you know! I've only been here two months…two months! How could you care about me when I have only been around for a short time?"

"How could we not? Maybe you had us from the moment we met you. Maybe you-"

"Get out…."

Aishu was raging now, turning away again. Her own personal boundaries were being crossed by someone who thought they knew. In her mind, she knew nothing. In her mind, Natsuki was a liar. She didn't know anything.

"Aishu…"

"Get out!"

Although she didn't want to, she knew she had to go. She tried, and sort of got somewhere, but staying now would only make things worse. That didn't, however, stop her from doing one last thing. Moving behind the girl, she wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her close and whispering into Aishu's ear.

"Not every adult in the world is out there to hurt you. You're safe here, and we won't stop trying until you see that." And with those last words, she pulled away, walking out and closing the door behind her.

"_She's lying…she's lying…_"

Aishu was shaking slightly now, the remnant of Natsuki's warmth still around her, her words burnt inside her mind. How had she been able to tell what she was feeling? How did she know what had been going on in her mind? How was she able to see through her like that? She didn't like that…she didn't like that at all. She was tough…but for some reason, Natsuki found just how to bring her close to cracking….just how to say what was on her mind. And on top of that, Heero's words just kept playing in her mind, his words making so much sense.

Aishu laid her back flat onto the wooden footboard of her bed, sliding down until she was seated on the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she hid her face in her arms, trying hard to repeat the words she knew had to be true.

"_Let it go, Aishu. They're lying…they're lying."_


	6. Chapter 6

_She wants to be found_

_The only way out_

_Is through everything she's running from_

_Wants to give up and lie down_

Chapter 6: Trust

_She wants to be found…_

A cool breeze brushed her face gently, the young brunette watching the scene in front of her not from the window of her normal bedroom, but through the window in a room that was now also hers at a beach house Natsuki and Shizuru had owned. The three of them had left for the beach trip that was planned over a month and a half ago, but Aishu had fought it a little bit before they had taken off. The events that had taken place the same day these plans were made had reverted her back into more of her older self, the young girl snappier and more resilient to her guardian's attempts to show that they cared.

"_Natsuki…Shizuru…"_

As she gazed out at the ocean scene before her, she found her mind wandering to the events that occurred before their arrival. You see, ever since the mini blow out between herself and Natsuki, awkwardness had developed between the two, Aishu keeping her distance in fear of it happening again. Natsuki wanted to apologize and tell the girl her true intentions, but she was never given the chance. She even kept her distance away from Shizuru when she could because of that night, the child even more afraid to trust and open up. She was fearful and found it harder to believe in the warmth she was just becoming accustomed to.

_But…but…I miss it._"

Despite everything that happened, there was still a very small part of her that wanted to believe them, a part of her that wanted to reach out. It hurt her to push away as much as she was, but she wasn't sure what to do, and at this moment, she wondered if there was anything she could really do now after the events of that morning.

_-Creeeeeak-_

_ It was another late Friday morning, the house silent with the exception of a lone door slowly creaking open. From the crack, a pair of chocolate brown eyes gazed into the hallway, looking for any sign of movements, but none came. After waiting a few more minutes, she finally opened the door all the way and slowly stepped out. So far, so good._

_ Once her door was shut again, she padded down the hallway, keeping her steps light, especially when walking by the room the two women resided in. When she passed it, she let out a small sigh of relief. She was safe. Now all she had to do was-_

_ "Good morning, Ai-chan."_

_ Aishu froze in her steps and whipped around, half in shock. How the hell did she hear her and where did she come from? Well, it didn't matter now. She had been caught, but that didn't mean anything had to happen._

_ Not in the mood to say much, she waved her hand in reply and turned back around._

_ "How are you this morning?" Shizuru asked gently, moving closer._

_ Aishu, who had attempted to leave, stopped again, annoyed slightly at the others talking. _

_ "Fine. I need to go downstairs."_

_ She proceeded to take her first step down, but before she could even lift a foot, she was jerked back. _

_ "Woah!"_

_ Moments after, she found herself in the woman's arms, her hug gentle and firm. Now usually, Shizuru hugs were all about sneak attacks, tackles, and glomps, but lately, the hugs seemed different. She no longer used them in a playful manner, but in more sincere one, as if she was trying to tell Aishu something through her warm embrace._

_ "Ugh…Must you?"_

_ "I must. After all, Natsuki hugs and Ai-chan hugs are the best."_

_ "I don't even hug you." Aishu retorted. "So how can mine be the best? I've told you so many times how much I dislike them, yet you still seem to think otherwise and don't listen. There's something wrong with you."_

_ "I'll let there be something wrong with me if it means I get to hug you." She replied, her tone still kind and gentle._

_ A very red faced Aishu pulled from the woman's grasp, silently cursing to herself. No matter how much she fought it, their hugs were always enough to make the child blush. Why they still affected her was a good question. It's not like she had an interest in them anymore. She didn't believe in the things they said or did because it was all a lie…_

_ Right?_

_ Without another word to the woman, she headed downstairs, passing through the living room and into the kitchen, grabbing her black sweatshirt from a nearby chair. She needed to get out of the house and thought a walk would do her good._

_ "Good morning, Ai-chan."_

_ Aishu stopped in her tracks, turning to face the source of the voice, though now she partly regretted doing so._

_ "Uh, d-did you sleep well?"_

_ It was the same reaction every time. Whenever those two locked gazes, her defenses shot right up while Natsuki turned into a stuttering mess. _

_ Placing her sweatshirt on, she turned around, and without missing a beat, she headed for the door._

_ "I am going for a walk."_

_ "W-wait!"_

_ Once again, Aishu stopped, the look she gave the other a very irritated one. At this point, Shizuru had also joined them, walking over to the counter to prepare some coffee."_

_ "U-um, are you all packed for the trip later?"_

_ The child merely raised a brow at this question. Today was the day they were going on that beach trip. She had been excited about it in the beginning, but now…_

_ "I'm not going."_

_ "Wait…wh-what?"_

_ "I said I am not going." Aishu replied simply._

_ "But…we made these plans awhile ago and you seemed so excited. Everyone wants you to come…" Natsuki told her._

_ "And? Who cares? I don't want to go anymore."_

_ "But why?"_

_ "I just don't want to."_

_ "But…but…I…"_

_ "Look, maybe before I had wanted to go, but now I don't want to. Plain and simple. Why should I go along when I don't really want to be there?"_

_ "Because if you do come along, you'll get your wish. We will never hug you again."_

_ The room went silent at the crimson eyed females sudden input, Natsuki looking almost as in shock as Aishu was, the two watching her as she turned to face them._

_ "…What?"_

_ "I said Natsuki and I will stop hugging you." Shizuru told her. "You don't like it when we do it, correct?"_

_ "Uh, yes…"_

_ "And you hate them?"_

_ "…I do."_

_ She wasn't sure where this was all coming from for it wasn't like Shizuru to do this, and though Aishu was answering yes to all of the questions, she knew, deep down inside of her heart, that those words weren't true. It was only out of fear and pride did she say them._

_ "Well then…this is the perfect deal. If you go on this trip with us, I promise we will no longer hug you."_

_ "Do…do you mean that?"_

_ "Absolutely. You have my word. No more unless you tell me otherwise."_

_ "I'd never tell you otherwise." She said back, pride kicking in again._

_ "Well, there you go. It will benefit you in the end. Do we have a deal?"_

_ Aishu was silent for a moment. Her mind was telling her to hurry up and agree, but her heart…_

_ "F-fine. We…we have a deal."_

_ "All right then!" Shizuru said with a smile. "You still have time for a walk if you wish, but after, be sure to pack because we leave around noon._

_ "A-all right…" And with that, she walked out the door."_

_ "I can't…I can't believe that happened…" she thought to herself as she walked along the side walk. "But…but that's what I wanted, right? Yeah, that is exactly what I wanted. I don't need those stupid hugs. But then, when I think about not having them…Why does it hurt so much?"_

_ "_There you are!"

A sudden voice shook Aishu from her thoughts. Turning, she found all three of her friends at the door.

"Hey, Ai-chan." Daichi greeted. "Ready for some fun?"

"Ai-chaaaan!"

Chiyo came plowing through the twins, tackling the brunette and tightly hugging her.

"Chiyo-chan…do you really have to do this every time you see me?"

"Of course she does." Rei replied teasingly. "After all, she misses her Ai-chan so much when she's gone."

"Rei…" she said lowly.

"But I do!" piped in Chiyo. "I can't help myself. I just always miss you. And…oooh, I was right. Ai-chan looks yummy in that bathing suit."

Aishu, who had already been wearing her white suit, blushed hard and pushed Chiyo right off.

"Baka!"

The other three cracked up at this, Daichi calming down enough to speak first.

"Come on, our parents and Chiyo's parents are already setting up at the beach. I'm ready to swim!"

Grabbing her blue towel, she pushed away a clinging Chiyo, (in which there was almost no point in doing so as she would just come back), and followed the others downstairs. When they hit the kitchen, they found Natsuki and Shizuru doing some last minute things.

"Do you need any help?" Rei asked.

"No, but thank you!" Shizuru replied brightly. "Oh, and Ai-chan, that suit looks very nice on you."

"It does." Natsuki piped in, putting some drinks into the cooler.

"Yeah…thanks."

"We'll be with the group in a few minutes. " Shizuru told them. "You guys go start having fun!"

"All right!" Chiyo said back. "We'll see you down there. Come on, Ai-chan!"

Aishu looked back at the women as they four of them turned to leave. Usually Shizuru would hug her at this point as she always did before the young girl went anywhere, but the chestnut haired woman simply smiled.

"Have a good time!"

And with that, the group left. When the two women were finally alone, Natsuki decided to question the others actions.

"You sure this no hugging thing is going to work? I thought we were going to help her so she wouldn't be afraid anymore."

"This is helping, trust me." Shizuru said back with a wink. "I know she likes the hugs, but I think she just needs to come to terms with that herself and really realize how much she does enjoy them."

"Yeah…you're probably right." Natsuki said a little sadly. "You're always right and I only mess up. She hardly talks to me anymore and doesn't like to be around me. I knew I would be horrible at this."

Shizuru's eyes softened, the woman walking over to her other half, standing beside her. She knew what had happened between the two, and since then, the blunette's confidence and sky rocketed down.

"You're doing fine. You really are."

"You can't say that. I know she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you. She's probably just scared as you said. What she doesn't seem to realize is how much you two have in common. After your mother died, you were alone and felt a lot of the things Aishu does now."

"Well how can I explain this to her when I can't even get her alone long enough to do so?"

"You'll be able to, I promise. What you did was right. Trust me, she will come around."

"If you say so…"

"I do." Standing in front of Natsuki now, she gave the woman a warm kiss, hugging her tightly after. Natsuki, getting lost in the woman's scent, hugged back just as tight. She always felt safe in these arms.

"I'm right here love. I promise it is all going to be ok."

"Thank you…" she whispered. "Thank you…"

Even while they were setting up their spots on the sand, Aishu was still lost in thought, her heart all scrambled up as she tried taking in the situation.

"_She really meant it…she isn't hugging me. Neither of them are. That's a good thing. It has to be…"_

"Oi! Ai-chan!" Rei called, the other three already near the water. "Let's take a swim!"

Looking back at them, she pushed herself into the mindset of hugs not being good.

"_For now, just forget it…just forget._"

And forget she did, the fun she ended up having with the others taking her mind off of the situation.

"D-Daichi!"

Aishu, who was swimming around, watched as the boy threw his sister into the water.

"Ha! I win!"

Chiyo tried pushing him down playfully in attempts to defend her friend, but ended up missing, Daichi grabbing her and throwing her in, too.

"I win again!"

He stood their proudly, giggling at his work. He was so busy giggling and claiming he won that he failed to realize what was coming.

"Kyaaaaa!"

Haruka had snuck up behind her son and grabbed him by surprise, now tossing him into the water.

"Now I win!" she said victoriously, everyone, including Aishu, laughing.

As the brunette watched the other kids laugh and get into a water fight with Haruka, Aishu couldn't help but smile a little.

"_Is this how good having a family could be? Is it really not all that bad?"_

She then turned her gaze from them to her two guardians that were still on the beach, her heart half warming up and half aching when she saw them.

"_I wonder…I wonder what it would be like just to play with them like that._"

After this, they continued having fun. They built sand castles, relaxed in the sun, swam more, and before they knew it, it was dinner time, everyone heading back to Natsuki's and Shizuru's to eat.

"_What a day…" _she said to herself as she changed into some shorts and a sweat shirt. "_It was actually fun._" And fun like she had today hadn't happened in a long time.

When she finished, she headed downstairs and into the living room. She was about to sit when a little scene caught her eye.

"Mooommy."

Chiyo cutely nuzzled into her mother's arm, Mai whisking the girl into a hug.

"Hey, little one. Did you have fun today?"

"Mhm! I am glad we came."

Mai leaned in and kissed the girl on the forehead, Chiyo blushing as her gazed softened in return.

"Good. You deserve some fun."

Chiyo then nuzzled into her mother's chest, a very content look on her face. After, she peeked up and locked gazes with the other.

"I love you, mom."

Mai kissed the girl again, hugging her even tighter.

"I love you, too little bear. So much. Mmmmmm…I am so lucky to have you as my daughter."

"_Ow…_"

Aishu grabbed her chest as she watched. Thinking about a love like that was one thing, but actually seeing it…

"_I…I messed up."_

Her heart suddenly felt heavier than it had been in a long time.

"_I can never experience this now because of the mistake I made. I…I really messed up…_"

"Ai-chan?"

Both Chiyo and Mai looked over at where the girl was standing, Aishu's hurt gaze very apparent.

"Ai-chan…are you all right?" Mai asked, brows furrowed with worry.

"Um…uh, yeah. I'm fine. I just…I need to step outside."

And before anyone could stop her, she ran out the door and back to the beach, plopping down by the edge of the water.

"_What have I done?_"

Tucking in her knees to her chest, she buried her face into her arms. It was always the same. She would fight and fight against any kind of affection given to her that when she lost it, she regretted fighting it in the first place. She already screwed things up with Natsuki and now she screwed them up with Shizuru, too. She knew that despite her negative thoughts, she loved the attention both women would give her. No one had ever wanted to hug her so much in her life, and now…

"_Why do I have to be such an idiot?_"

"Ai-chan?"

Jumping slightly, she turned to find her three friends standing behind her. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. Instead, she just turned away and rested her chin on her knees, focusing on the orange sunset on the horizon.

"We thought you could use some company." Rei said, all of them now sitting beside her.

More silence passed after that, the four just staring at the ocean.

"You know…we're here if you need to talk. "Chiyo said softly. "I don't like it when you look sad…"

Aishu, who was actually a little bit moved that they had all come out for her and were genuinely worried, peeked over at them.

"That's right." Added Rei. "We always are."

"It's…it's really nothing."

"If it bothers you then it is something." Daichi told her.

"But…it's stupid."

"Nothing is stupid if it makes you feel sad." Daichi said back. "If something is bugging you, you can always rely on us. We're friends after all, right?"

Aishu blushed as she looked at the smiling and encouraging faces of the others. They really wanted to hear what she had to say.

"Are…are you sure?"

"Yes!" Rei answered, giving thumbs up. "Talk away!"

"Well…"

Now, Aishu wasn't one for venting, but so much had been pent up that it had just come out whether she had wanted it to or not, the girl telling them what happened between her and Heero, between her and Natsuki, and her and Shizuru.

"That damn Heero." Daichi said angrily. "He's always caused up problems just because we were adopted into a family. He always said that we weren't considered real families because they took us in rather than having us."

"Well, wouldn't he be right?" Aishu asked, her chest still hurting. "I mean, technically, we aren't of their blood."

"He is far from right." Chiyo answered. "You know, I used to think the same way before I even met Heero, but then Mai-kaa-chan said something to me that I have never forgotten. Blood is the least of what makes people a family. It's love that counts."

Aishu furrowed her brows as she listened.

"Love? But, they can't love or look at me like family right now. I haven't been there long enough."

"Ne, you think there is a time limit on how long it takes a mother to love you?" Daichi asked. "I mean, I understand where you are coming from. In the beginning, I never understood how or why our Moms just loved on us so much. It didn't make sense because we hadn't been there long, but then I realized that there didn't need to be a time limit. Maybe they instantly feel in love with us just because. Maybe they instantly fell in love with _you _just because."

Aishu blushed hard at this, stammering as she spoke.

"L-love? You think they…love me? That can't be true…"

"Well you better start thinking otherwise." Chiyo told her, poking Aishu in the forehead. "Trust me, they do. I can tell by the way they look at you and treat you."

Aishu hid her face a little while Chiyo spoke. Sometimes she forgot that her friends were once in the same situation she was and that they understood some of the thought processes she was having.

"So, are you going to ask them for hugs?" Rei asked.

Aishu looked down.

"I…I don't know. I miss them, but…I'm just a little too scared to ask."

"You guys all right?"

All four kids looked behind them to find Mai there, Aishu immediately turning her head and half hiding it in her arms. With a small smile, Mai walked over and knelt down in front of her.

"Ai-chan, you ok?"

Aishu simply shrugged, not meeting her gaze.

Mai just sighed at this, reaching out to squeeze her arm gently.

"Hey…I know what's going on."

Aishu finally looked up at her when she spoke this.

"They told me all about what happened that night after the mall trip, and what happened this morning."

Aishu still said nothing, too much shyness kicking in.

"You know…you didn't lose them. They really care about you."

The brunette shuffled in place, going back to looking down again.

"Do you miss them?"

Aishu nodded.

"You really want the hugs to stay?"

She nodded again. She never really wanted to let them go.

"Are you gonna ask them for hugs again, then?"

Aishu didn't answer this one, hiding her face fully in reply.

"She wants to, Mom." Chiyo told her. "She's just…scared to. "

"I just don't know how." Aishu said softly, her voice slightly muffled from being hidden.

"I see. Well, if you are too scared to ask, maybe you could break the ice yourself and give them the hug first."

Aishu's chest did a funny jump, the girl lifting her head to eye the other with confusion.

"Hug them…myself?"

"Mhm! See, what you can do is come have dinner. Hang out a little, relax, and then when the chance is given, sneak a hug of your own in."

Aishu was very uncertain of this plan. Though part of her liked it, she wasn't sure she would be able to pull it off.

"That actually sounds perfect." Rei said. "There would be no real pressure of asking them because you can give it whenever you are ready."

"Exactly." Mai continued. "Wouldn't it be best to do something you were uneasy with at your own pace?"

Aishu could see the sense in this, eyes locked back down onto the warm sand. She could do this. If she really tried, she could get hugs back…

"Well…I guess it would work…but, I'm scared."

"It's ok to be scared." Daichi told her, his smile full of encouragement. "And it's understandable, but you have all of us here. We'll support you."

"That's right!" Mai added. "You have us all behind your back, and you can trust us when we say it' going to be ok."

Looking at them, she felt a familiar warm flicker in her heart. They really wanted to help her and wanted to be there for her, too.

"You…you promise?"

"We all do." Replied Chiyo with a smile. Aishu actually smiled back, feeling a little bit better.

"Thanks…" she said softly. "But…well, what about Natsuki?"

"Well now, for that, you will have to do some talking." Mai answered.

"But I won't know what to say."

"Yes you will." She said back. "It might be hard at first, but once it gets going, it will all come out naturally, and let me tell you, if there is anyone in the world to talk about how you are and what you feel, it's Natsuki. "

"Why's that?"

"When you speak to her, you will see. Trust me, everything is going to be ok."

Aishu nodded in return. She was scared, but somehow talking to them all eased her quite a bit, her thought process a little clearer.

"You got this Ai-chan." Said Daichi, the others nodding as well. "We know you do."

"Thanks…" she said again.

"All right, then why don't we get this started, yes? Dinner is about ready. You guys ready?"

Everyone nodded, standing up.

"All right then, let's go!"

And with that, they all headed back to the house. For the next hour or so, they all chatted and ate, Aishu sticking pretty close to her group of friends for comfort as her nerves would kick in if she were along with Natsuki or Shizuru. When dinner was done, Haruka, Yukino, Rei, and Daichi headed off, both of the kids wishing her good luck before leaving. Mai, Mikoto, and Chiyo, who were staying there, all settled into the living room along with Aishu, Natsuki saying something about stepping outside on the patio for a moment. Shizuru, however, was still in the kitchen.

"I'll be out there in a moment!" she told them. "Just a few more dishes to clean up and then I will be finished."

Aishu had kept her mind amused by watching Mikoto at the fish tank, but when she heard Shizuru's voice, she knelt up on the couch, peeking over the edge of it.

"Are you all right?" Mai asked.

Looking over at Mai and Chiyo, she gave a small shrug of her shoulders.

"I think…"

Looking back at Shizuru with her, she smiled, poking the girl in her side.

"You know…now would be the perfect time if you're thinking about it."

In fact, she was. She was trying to sort out her feelings enough and bring out some courage to get her to do so, but her thoughts kept interrupting that process.

"What if she gets mad?" Aishu whispered. "What if she doesn't want one right now?"

"Oh yes, she is going to get so mad at you for hugging her." Mia said sarcastically. "Don't be silly, she won't be, and if it's coming from you, she is going to want that hug."

"But what if she doesn't? What if she really just isn't in a mood for one? What if I mess things up somehow?"

"You won't!"

"But what if-'

"Ai-chan, you're over thinking." Mai told her with an amused look. "There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise."

Aishu's gaze became even more worried as she peeked back over at the aforementioned woman. Her heart was saying just go do it and her head was throwing a millions 'what-ifs' and worries her way. She did, however, finally manage to ignore them long enough to move away, slipping off the couch and walking over to the kitchen entrance.

"You can do it." Chiyo whispered with a wink. "Good luck."

Taking a deep breath, Aishu finally took a few steps forward, stopping half way there when the butterflies in her stomach became much worst. Shizuru, thankfully, still had her back turned, Aishu watching as she dried off her hands with a towel.

Looking back at Mai and Chiyo, they both nodded and urged her on, and she did so, walking a little closer. When she was only inches away from Shizuru, she stopped again. Now was the moment of truth. All she had to do was hug her and then…well…she didn't know what…

"_You could still run though…she hasn't seen you yet. You could run and she would never know you were here…._"

The prideful, independent, and fearful Aishu liked that idea, but the warmer side that had started to peek out ever so slowly over the past few months had become just a little bit stronger, reminding her that if she didn't do something, she wouldn't have any hugs at all, and that was something she didn't want to lose. So, after a few more moments, she took a deep breath and finally reached out to the woman, arms wrapping around her waist as her face hid in the woman's back.

Shizuru, taken off guard, gave a small gasp and looked behind her, her eyes moving from shock to warmth in a matter of seconds.

"_She's gonna hate this…"_ she thought to herself, her world seemingly going quiet for a moment. "_She's gonna…and…and what if she makes fun of me? What if she teases me about not being able to last long? What if-_"

Before she could finish her thought, Shizuru shifted, turning around to face her and pulling her right into a nice and tight hug, and when this happened, Aishu's world came to a standstill, as if it were just her and Shizuru. This was a move she wasn't expecting thanks to her twenty worries, but here she was, embraced warmly in those familiar arms. Yes, her body did feel out of place. Yes, there was still a small part of her that wanted to run, but for once, she didn't. In fact, she really couldn't. Staying in it long enough, she realized just how warm it was…just how comforting it was. There was no reason to run. She wanted to say those words…say something about how warm and good it felt, but she was still a little too shy to do so. Thankfully, it was Shizuru who broke the silence.

"That's my girl…" she said softly, caressing Aishu's deep brown locks. This made the girl feel even more relaxed, releasing some of the tension in her body. Pulling away, Shizuru rested her forehead onto the girl's, the woman's warm gaze locking with Aishu's shy one

"I'm so proud of you. That was a wonderful hug and I loved it very much. I look forward to more Aishu hugs in the future."

Hearing those words made her blush a little, and unable to keep it anymore, she dropped her gaze, fearing that if she held it any longer, she would cry, and crying was something she couldn't do. If she started crying now, she would never stop.

Smiling at this, she pulled the girl back into her arms, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"It's ok." She whispered, placing a warm kiss on Aishu's head. "It's ok."

After a few more moments of hugging, she pulled away again, this time kneeling down to Aishu's height, holding the girl's small hands in her own.

"You know…there's someone else I know who would love a hug from you."

`Aishu, who had calmed down quite a bit, was now feeling all nervous again in knowing who the woman was speaking of.

"But…I messed things all up…" she said softly.

"Oh no, you didn't." she replied back with a smile, tucking a piece of the girl's hair behind her ear. "She still cares for you a great deal and wants to help, but, she's a little afraid you don't like her anymore."

"But I do…." She told her, her eyes glazing a bit. "I don't hate her…"

"I know you don't, sweetheart, and I told her that, but I think she will believe it just a little more if you were the one to say so and not me. I think you should go talk to her…give her one of those beautiful hugs like you gave me. You think you can do that?"

Aishu, though very nervous and unsure, nodded. She didn't want Natsuki thinking she really hated her when she did not.

Her gaze becoming even warmer, she tapped Aishu on the nose before standing.

"That a girl. Go on then. She's on the porch."

Nodding again, she turned and headed towards the kitchen door, slowly and quietly opening and closing it behind her. Indeed Natsuki was on the porch, leaning against the railing and staring out into the ocean as the sun began to set.

"_How do I even start this…_"

She had no idea what to say, her mind scrambling for words, but unable to find any. Mai said it would be hard at first, but Aishu had been under the impression that she had screwed up so badly that day that no words could really fix it.

"_That day…._"

What had gone on in her bedroom between the two of them flashed in her mind again. She could remember thinking she wanted to be alone, and then the shock of Natsuki somehow knowing she really didn't want to be. It was the first time any adult had persisted when she was like that. It was the first time any adult tried to help…but the question was…

"How did you know?"

Natsuki shook from her little trance, turning back to face the voice. Her gaze was a mildly surprised one when she realized it was Aishu, but it was warm nonetheless.

"How did I know what?"

"That night. How did you know I didn't want to be alone? I specifically remember telling you I wanted to be, and I don't believe I did anything hinting otherwise, but somehow, you knew. How is that?"

Natsuki wasn't expecting this conversation and was already tripping over her words, trying to find the right thing to say. She was afraid of screwing up again. Stopping for a moment, she tried gathering her thoughts a little better, leaning back against the railing, her arms crossed over her chest.

"To be honest…I…I don't know. I just…I remember walking in and you had this look, and then I noticed you couldn't take your eyes off of all the things Shizuru and I had bought you. Most kids would be happy, but you…your look was different. You seemed really conflicted, and then it hit me that perhaps, you were over-whelmed. That you didn't know what to think or how to handle the fact that someone wanted to spoil you. "

"That is what I was thinking…" she said back softly, not breaking gazes with the emerald greens. "But, in reality, I could have been thinking anything. I could have been upset about anything. Why did you specifically think it was for the reasons you just stated?"

"Because….well, because once upon a time, in my school years, Shizuru had spoiled me like no other had…and…I remember doing and feeling the same exact things. I felt over-whelmed, confused, uncertain, and well…I was scared."

"…You…were?"

Aishu, whose gaze had been a bit hard, now softened up quite a bit. Natsuki knew how it felt to be scared like that? Was Natsuki not a people person either when she was younger? Many questions like this popped into her mind as she walked closer, now standing beside her and leaning back against the rail.

"Mhm." She said nodding. "You see, my mother died when I was very little, and after she died, my father just kind of…disappeared, so I learned to take care of myself. I trusted no one and I wasn't very good when it came to people. I didn't make friends easily because of the fact I trusted no one. I always felt so out of place. So, when I first met Shizuru, she was the first person to really take a liking to me, and then came Mai. Now, Mai was a little easier for me to get used to, but with Shizuru, it was a little harder because early on, she had feelings for me. I knew…she knew…everyone knew. You could see it in her actions. She was always teasing me, playfully of course, bugging at me, but she also cared. There was one day she took me into town and let me tell you, she spoiled me like crazy. I had no idea what to do, and by the time I got back to the school, I was…kind of lost. I thought that maybe Shizuru had done it all to gain my trust and love and such when that wasn't the case at all. She just really cared, and it was Mai who helped me realize before I asked her to leave me alone."

Aishu took in what the woman had said. Natsuki didn't have a family growing up either? She was alone and didn't trust anyone? She had gone through similar thoughts and feelings, not knowing what to do in that situation, and in learning this, Aishu started to feel a little bit less…alone.

"So, you've known what I felt like from the start? And…on the night that we spoke…you knew exactly what I was feeling? You knew everything because you had gone through it before? And you…you didn't want to leave me alone?"

Natsuki locked eyes with Aishu's once again, her gaze sincere as she spoke.

"Let's just say I can remember telling people multiple times I wanted to be alone, even on the night I just told you about with Shizuru and Mai, and when it came down to it, being alone was something I really didn't want. I was a lot older than you when I started learning this and it took me quite some time to get used to everything. To having friends, to getting close to others, to really loving….you're eleven. I thought that maybe if I could help you somehow, I could save you from going as long as I did with telling people to leave you alone when you didn't want to be…to save you from the thoughts of having to run when someone tries to care about you."

Now when she heard this, something in Aishu's heart kind of broke. In the end, she really was trying to help her. She knew what it felt like and just wanted to show her that it was ok to not be alone…that it was ok to want someone.

"I mean, if you really wh-"

Natsuki had begun to speak, but was cut off almost immediately. Not by any words from the little girl, but from a simple, warm hug.

"A….Ai…chan…."

This was yet another move she was not expecting, but that didn't stop her from wrapping her own arms around the child, hugging her tightly as she did so.

"Thank you…." Aishu whispered, keeping her face hidden. "Thank you…"

Natsuki, who had caught glances at Shizuru standing at the door, simply held the girl, letting her fingers fun through her hair comfortingly.

"No thanks needed…" she whispered, a small smile on her face. She wasn't a screw up after all. She had done something right. "I just…I don't want you to ever feel like you're alone."

And at that moment, she did not. She had her hugs back...she had both of them in general. For once, she truly wasn't alone. For once, she could really get lost and enjoy the hugs without fear…she could be happy. For the first time in her life, with both Natsuki and Shizuru, she felt safe.

**A/N: Well, Aishu had now discovered that hugging isn't deadly, but she still has some more things to work on. What else will she learn as her story goes on?**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is a chapter definitely full of fluff as Aishu continues to learn what it means to be part of a family. I am glad there are those who enjoy it so far and I am having so much fun writing it :) Thank you for all the reviews and support and I hope you enjoy!**

_Family isn't always about the people in your life_

_Who are blood relations_

_It's about people in your life_

_That want you to be in theirs_

Chapter Seven: Birthday

_It's about people in your life that want you to be in theirs…_

_**3 days before**_

While Aishu was visiting her friends, Natsuki and Shizuru had gone into town to do a little shopping. While passing by a shop, Natsuki's gaze became transfixed on a specific item that was in the window.

"Ne…"

Shizuru, who heard her wife mumble something, stopped in her tracked and looked back at the raven-haired female. Joining at her side, she peeked in at what her wife was looking at, smiling when she saw what it was.

"Ara, you like that?"

Natsuki nodded her head in reply. Normally she wasn't much of a jewelry person, but this little piece had caught her eye. It was a small, silver necklace with a silver heart shaped piece attached to it. She loved how it looked, and though it wasn't overly fancy, it was a perfect match for Natsuki.

"You gonna get it?" Shizuru asked.

"Nah. I like it a lot, but I don't really need it right now."

"Well, you can afford it."

"I know, but it's all good. Maybe I will come back another time."

Shizuru slipped her hand into her wife's and placed a little quick kiss on her cheek.

"Well, your birthday is coming up." She told her with a wink. "Maybe somebody will be nice and get it for you."

Shizuru went to kiss her lips this time, but when she did, Natsuki playfully nipped at her.

"Ikezu." The brunette replied with a fake pout.

This only caused Natsuki to giggle before letting the woman actually kiss.

"Or maybe I will be happy just to spend the day with you and Aishu."

Shizuru wrapped her arms around the other and nuzzled into her neck.

"Oh don't worry. We'll be there to celebrate it, but you're going to be getting gifts anyways. Spoils for you!"

Natsuki snickered and hugged back.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"Yeah, but you knew that way before you married me." Shizuru replied.

This caused the blunette to giggle again. Pulling back a little, she rested her forehead on Shizuru's, a look of love in her emerald gaze.

"I did. Don't ever change. Punk. I love you."

This time when they kissed, it was much deeper, the kiss lasting quite a few moments.

"And I love you." Shizuru said back. "Mmmmm…come on, let's finish this up. Aishu will be home soon and I want you two all to myself."

And with one last little cheek nuzzle from the older female, the two pulled away and continued on.

_**Present Day**_

_** 11:00am**_

"Ne…um…Shizu-chan?"

Shizuru, who had been reading a book on the couch, looked up to find the eleven year old standing at the entryway.

"Hey you." She said with a smile. "You ok?"

Aishu nodded, stepping in a bit and leaning up against the wall.

"I am…I just, have a question."

"Yes?"

"Uh, well, tomorrow is Natsuki's birthday and I don't really know what to get her. Do you have any ideas?"

Shizuru's smile grew, the woman closing the book and placing it down.

"Come here." She told the girl, patting the seat beside her.

Aishu walked over and slipped on the couch, Shizuru turning to face her as she did.

"Stuck on what to get?"

The girl nodded back. She had been saving up all the pocket money she had earned from doing things around the house, wanting to get the blunette something really special. Problem was…she had no idea where to even start.

"Well…there's a book series she reads that she really loves. She is missing a few volumes and I can write them down if you want me to. And, well you know how much she loves video games, too."

Natsuki was a huge video game nerd, but Aishu couldn't say much for she was always right beside the female whenever game time started up.

"But you know, Natsuki will love anything you give her."

Aishu shrugged, blushing a little shyly.

"Maybe…but I really want to get her something special. She deserves it…"

Shizuru smiled as she listened to the other talk. After the beach trip, Aishu had started coming out a lot more. Yes, there were still some things she wouldn't do, like snuggling, but she was getting there.

"Honey, she will find anything you get her special, but if you are still unsure, why don't you go into town and have a look around. I have a doctor's appointment soon, but maybe you can call your friends and see if they want to go with you."

That was actually a good idea. Her friends were always good at family things, so maybe they would know just the right thing.

"Yeah, ok. I'll do that. Thank you, Shizu-chan."

She was about to get up when she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist, pulling her right back down.

"Ara, don't go quite yet. I need my Ai-chan hug."

Blushing again, Aishu wrapped her arms around Shizuru's neck, hugging back. Weeks ago, she wouldn't be caught dead doing this, but now she craved for them constantly, even going to the women herself when she needed a hug. She even allowed kisses, though kissing back was still a work in progress. And snuggling? Forget it. She was definitely not ready for that. That was like a never ending hug, and she knew that the longer she stayed in a hug, the more vulnerable she felt. She wasn't ready to completely let go like that, so snuggles were a no go. She was definitely over her hugging fear, but baby steps were still being taken to get to where she wanted to be.

"You're a sweet girl, you know that?"

Aishu just blushed, hiding her face in the woman's chestnut locks. Her warmth, along with Natsuki's, was always such a welcoming feeling.

Rubbing her back, she gave the girl a kiss on the head.

"You are so special and so cared for. Don't ever forget that."

Aishu squeezed her a little tighter, using this to express her thanks as she was a little too shy to speak.

After a few more moments, they let go, Aishu still a little pink on the cheeks from the event.

"All right, cutie. Why don't you give your friends a call?"

"Ok." She said with a nod, her mind returning to her project for the day. "I will." She would find Natsuki the best present and wouldn't give up till she did.

_**2:00pm**_

A few hours later, Aishu found herself in town with Chiyo, Daichi, and Rei, all three of them more than willing to help her out.

"Thanks again guys…I really appreciate you coming." She said as they walked around.

"It's no problem at all." Rei told her.

"Yeah, we're glad we can come along." Added Daichi.

"And it gives me a reason to see my Ai-chan!" Chiyo said happily, clinging to the girls arm.

"Chiyo-chan…" Aishu said lowly, but she knew there was no arguing with her when she was like this. She could push the silver haired female away all she wanted, but she'd always come back.

"So do you have any ideas?" Rei asked.

"Well…there are some books I can get her. I have a list of the volumes she doesn't have in my pocket."

"Awesome!" the female twin replied, a book nerd herself. "To the bookstore!"

And with that, the four of them travelled to a nearby shop called Himura's Book Emporium. Aishu had seen this place while out and about with her guardians but had never actually been inside.

"All right, this place is huge, so I think we should split up." Daichi suggested. "We will be able to cover more ground that way."

All in agreement, the four went their separate ways, all in search for the listed series. In wasn't until about ten minutes later did someone find it.

"Oi! Guys, over here!" Daichi called. The other three located him and joined at his side. "These ones, right?"

Aishu looked up and nodded her head.

"Awesome! What volumes?"

Pulling the piece of paper from her pocket, she read the numbers out loud.

"Um…6, 7, and 8."

"All right…" Rei said quietly as she looked. "Here's 1…2…no 3…4…5…and…wait, seriously? They don't have anything after 5."

Peeking up herself, Aishu scanned through the books, her face falling when she found that Rei was right.

"That's not cool…" Chiyo said. "And this is the only place close to us that sells books."

"Yeah…" Aishu said, a little disappointed. "And that gift would have been awesome, too."

"Well, was there more that she liked?" Chiyo asked.

"Um, she likes to play video games."

"Perfect!" said Daichi. "There's a gaming store not far from here. Let's go!"

And with that, the four of them left and headed for the next store. However, half way there, they passed by a shopping window, an item on display catching her eye. Looking closer, she found it was a silver necklace with a little silver heart attached to it.

"_So pretty…_" she thought to herself. "_Maybe Natsuki-chan would like that…_"

She actually considered the idea for a moment, but then changed her mind.

"_No…better stick to the plan about the game. You don't want to get her something she will hate._"

After catching back up to her friends, they finally arrived at the game store, but when they got there…

"Closed?!" Rei said in shock. "Really?"

"Sign says it won't open up till next week." Daichi read. "The owner is on vacation."

"Well jeeze." Said Chiyo. "This is annoying. Any other ideas?"

Aishu shook her head, worry filling her.

"That's all I know…boy I suck at this."

"No no, you don't!" Rei replied. "You'll find the right gift. I know, how about we just walk around to different stores for now? Maybe something will catch your eye!"

Although Aishu was still bummed out over no games and no books, she agreed. She wouldn't give up until she found just the right thing. So, for the next hour or so, the group traveled to different places. Clothing stores, music stores, stores that carried random knick knacks, but with all the searching, Aishu found nothing.

"This is not good…not good at all." Aishu said as they left the last store. Now she was panicking. "We couldn't find anything. If I don't get her something for her birthday then I will feel terrible. I want to make her happy…"

"It's ok, Ai-chan." Chiyo told her. "Trust me when I say that, from experience, she will be happy with whatever you give her."

She had heard these words before, but she wasn't too sure she believed them. She couldn't just get anything. It had to be perfect.

"Maybe…" she replied. "But I have to make sure it's the right gift. It has to be something really good. She-"

Aishu suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Ai-chan, what is it?" Rei asked.

Turning, she glanced through the same window she did earlier that day, her eyes falling to that necklace once again.

"Ooooh. Look at how pretty that is!" said Rei.

"It is…" Aishu said back.

"You should so get that for her!" suggested Chiyo. "She'd love it!"

A feeling was nagging at her chest, telling her that was the one, but she was too full of worries. What if it wasn't good enough? What if she hated it?

"I don't know…" Aishu replied, brows furrowing a bit. "I mean, I saw this earlier and thought she might like it, but, then again, I don't always see her wearing jewelry. Some yes, but, I just really don't know. I kinda want to get her this, but I feel like she will hate it."

"No way!" said Daichi. "She couldn't hate anything you gave to her."

"Well, if there was something she didn't like and I gave it to her, wouldn't she hate it?"

It made perfect sense in Aishu's head.

"Ai-chan." Chiyo said softly, doing her famous poke in the forehead to the brunette. "You worry too much."

"I can promise you she won't hate that if you get it for her. "Rei told her. "She couldn't. The necklace is really pretty, and it would be coming from you."

"You should give it a shot." Daichi added. "I bet it will make her really happy."

Despite her twenty worries, the words of encouragement were actually helping, and as she continued to look at it, she wondered,

"_Will this really work? Will this make her happy?_"

_**8:00pm**_

In the end, Aishu ended up buying the necklace and, as she sat on her bed looking at the wrapped item, her mind started trailing into worries all over again.

"_Oh no…maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I mean, what do I know? She's probably not going to like this at all._"

Aishu had never gotten the chance to buy a gift for anyone before, so she was pretty new at this. And now that she was able to do so, she wanted it all to be perfect.

"_I wanna make her smile. I want her to be happy when she sees it. She makes me so happy and I wanna make her that happy, too. I-"_

Aishu stopped mid thought when her ears picked up a noise. Placing the box on her night stand, she walked over to her door and opened it, the sound she was hearing coming in the form of a giggle. Curious, she tip-toed downstairs and to the living room, crouching low right behind the entry way to avoid being seen, her baby browns peeking in.

"You're just too cute, you know that?"

There inside the living room, the two women she had grown to deeply care for were holding each other and dancing. There wasn't any music playing, but the two seemed pretty ok at the fact that they were dancing to their own tune.

"_So pretty…_" Aishu thought.

"No, I am pretty sure you are the cute one." Natsuki said back. "I am the big scary monster. Fear me. Grrr."

Shizuru laughed at this.

"Oh yes, so scary. Maybe I should run while I can."

"Nope!" Natsuki said, holding the woman tighter. "I'm holding you hostage. You're mine now and I am going to keep you forever."

"Oh no…forever?" Shizuru asked, leaning in and happily kissing the other. "Whatever shall I do?"

"_They're so in love…_" Aishu thought, watching them in awe. Her heart was melting, her face in a blush. Closing her eyes, she smiled and tried taking in the sweet feeling. She had never seen anyone so in love and so content just being in each other's company. It was a beautiful sight and it made Aishu happy to see it.

"Ara, it looks like we have an audience."

Aishu, snapping from her thoughts, looked up and found the two looking back at her. Embarrassed at being caught, she stood up to take off, but ended up tripping over her own two feet.

"Ouch…"

Shizuru giggled a bit when she saw this, going over to help the girl up.

"Aww, my poor little Ai-chan. Are you all right?"

"Yeah…" the girl replied, taking the woman's hand and standing up.

"Good good. So, it seems you have become a spy now, yes?"

"N-no!" Aishu stuttered out, more embarrassment kicking in. "I wasn't spying, I swear! I just…I…"

"You know what…" Natsuki said with a smirk. "I think she was watching because she wanted to dance, too."

Aishu's eyes almost popped out of her head when she heard this.

"Wh-what?"

"Of course!"

Shizuru pulled Aishu into the living room by her wrist, stopping when they were in the center of it.

"You are absolutely right, Natsuki! I bet she does want to dance!"

"W-wait!" Aishu stammered as she felt Shizuru's hand slip into her own. "This is a bad idea! I don't even know how to dance!"

"Ara, that's ok. I'll teach you!"

"B-but-"

Before the girl even had a chance to finish, Shizuru leaned in and rested her forehead on Aishu's, her gaze warm and loving.

"Come on, little one. Trust me, it will be fun."

Blushing deeply, Aishu nodded, finally agreeing.

"O-ok."

"Perfect!" said Shizuru, standing up straight again. "Now, to start…"

For the next half hour or so, Shizuru taught her little things on how to dance, Natsuki amusingly watching from the couch. At first, Aishu struggled, but as Shizuru kept practicing with her, the child got better.

"Hey, look at that!" Shizuru said brightly. "You got it!"

Aishu, who was actually smiling, continued dancing around with the woman, excited over what she had learned.

"I am doing it!" the girl said happily, giggling as Shizuru twirled her around. "I didn't think I could!"

"I am so proud of you!" the woman said back.

It was then Natsuki decided to join in.

"Excuse me beautiful lady." She said, tapping on Shizuru's shoulder. "May I dance with this lovely young girl?"

"But of course." Shizuru replied while stepping back, Aishu giggling at the scene. The girl then slipped her hands into Natsuki's, the two of them now dancing around the room.

"Good job!" Natsuki praised.

Aishu was having a lot of fun. It was like that moment she saw Haruka, Rei, and Daichi have at the beach when they were all playing together.

"_This must be how they felt…_" she thought, her smile wide.

"And now…sneak attack!"

Squeaking, Aishu clung to Natsuki's neck as the woman lifted her into the air, carrying her bridal style.

"Gotcha! All mine!"

"Natsu- chaaaaan." Aishu giggled playfully.

"Wait! I want her to be mine, too!" Shizuru called, walking over and placing little kisses all over the girl's face.

"Good idea." Piped in Natsuki. "She needs kisses."

Now they were both kissing her all over her face, the girl trying to hide in Natsuki's shoulder the best she could. Then, out of nowhere, Natsuki started spinning, stopping only when they reached the couch and plopping the girl on top of it.

"Oomph!"

Then, still feeling playful, the blunette reached down and started to gently skitter her nails all over Aishu's tummy, the girl instantly cracking up into giggles.

"No!"

To escape, she rolled off of the couch and onto the floor, standing seconds after and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cheater." She said, trying to keep an angry face on, but it didn't work, a happy smile popping up instead.

Natsuki could only laugh, taking the girl by the wrist and pulling her back onto the couch, taking a seat herself as well, Shizuru joining in on the other side.

"Oh my little Ai-chan, I am so glad you're here." She told her, clinging to the girls arm and resting her chin on her shoulder, Shizuru doing the same thing to the other arm.

"We both are." The crimson eyed woman added.

For a few minutes, the three just sat there, enjoying each other's company. Aishu, however, could only handle this position for so long. Her allergy to snuggles began kicking in.

"All right…" she said, getting up. The other two only smirked at this because they knew exactly what was going on. They turned her into a hugger, but she wasn't a snuggler quite yet. They'd get there…eventually. "I'm actually kind of tired, so I think I will head to bed early."

"Ok then, love." Shizuru said back. "You need anything?"

Aishu shook her head.

"I'm all set. See you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night." They both replied.

Before leaving, Aishu opened her mouth to say something else, but her voice locked up, and instead of saying what she wanted to say, she muttered yet another good night and walked out.

As she clicked off the light and settled into bed, she stared at the ceiling, getting lost in her own thoughts.

"_There are still things I can't say or do…things I am afraid of. I am not ready for these things yet, but…"_

Rolling over, she closed her eyes, a smile on her face and warmth in her heart. Regardless of her fears, she had a good night. Yes, she was afraid of being completely vulnerable around them, yes she wouldn't cry in fear of being viewed as weak, yes she couldn't quite snuggle or say what her heart wanted to, but for now, that was ok. Despite that all, there was still a hope that she would get over all of this one day, hope that she would be free, and as she began to fall asleep, she quietly prayed that Natsuki and Shizuru would be the ones to free her.

_**9:00am**_

"Naaaatsuki."

The sleeping blunette furrowed her brows, not quite awake yet.

"Oh Natsukiiiii." The soft voice called again.

Rolling over, the sleeping female stretched and yawned, flopping on the opposite side. She was so not a morning person, but the voice that was calling her was just so damn sweet that she couldn't help but open her eyes.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Her emerald gaze locked with the crimson one, Shizuru leaning in and giving her a very tender and loving kiss.

"Happy Birthday."

Mumbling something that sounded strangely like "my Shizuru", the blunette curled up closer to her wife, craving her warmth.

"And you told me last night how scary you were." Shizuru said with a giggle. "I am trembling in fear."

This made Natsuki snicker, a smile planted on her face as she looked up at her lover.

"I have barely been awake for a minute and you are already teasing me."

"And this is news to you?" Shizuru asked, Natsuki snickering again. "I can't help but tease you, and it's your birthday today so that makes me want to tease you more."

Kissing her wife again, she sat up a bit more in bed, Shizuru doing so as well, the two returning to their cuddling positions once they were settled.

"You're lucky I love you." Natsuki told her.

"Ara, yes, I am! Oh my boo, I can't wait to spoil you silly today. And to give you all your gifts! There was one gift I tried getting for you, but I couldn't find it, so I hope you like the others!"

-_Knock knock-_

Both women looked towards the door.

"Come in." Shizuru answered.

Moments after, the door opened, little Aishu peeking in.

"Um…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. If you're busy I can come back later."

"No silly, you aren't bothering." Natsuki told her, beckoning her inside. "Get over here you."

Opening the door wider, she stepped in, her hands behind her back as she walked over. Both women smiled when they saw this, Aishu's shyness just too adorable.

"Are you all right?" Shizuru asked, Aishu nodding in return. It looked like she had wanted to say something, but the child was having issues doing so.

"Y…yeah…" she replied, shuffling in place. It was in that moment Natsuki realized that she had her hands behind her back because she was hiding something.

"Ne…what have you got there?"

Still feeling very shy, she slowly brought her hands out, a small purple box gently cupped in them.

"H-happy Birthday, Natsuki-chan."

A huge and warm smile graced the blunette's face.

"Aww, Ai-chan. You didn't have to do that."

"I-I know…but, I wanted to."

"Well thank you sweetie. Come here."

Lifting the covers, she called Aishu over, the little girl slipping inside and getting beneath them. Once she was settled, she handed the gift over, Natsuki happily taking it.

"Ooooh, I wonder what you got!" Shizuru said, winking at the little girl. She was glad Aishu had found something as she had been having issues trying to pick one.

"I wonder, too."

"I h-hope you like it…"

"Honey, I know I will."

And with that, she took the little red bow that was on it off and opened the box, her eyes widening when she did. And not only did hers widen, but Shizuru's did, too, the older woman actually breaking out into giggles.

"Well that explains a lot." Shizuru said, clearly amused.

"Did you tell her?" Natsuki asked.

"Funnily enough, I didn't!" her wife answered. "She did this all on her own."

"Wait…did I do something wrong?" Aishu asked, getting nervous. She knew it, the gift was terrible. "Was that a bad thing to get?"

"Oh no, honey! Far from it!" Natsuki replied.

"There's actually kind of a funny story behind it is all." Shizuru added. "You see, the other day Natsuki saw this necklace in a window of a store. She told me she liked it, but didn't want to get it right then. Then yesterday, after my appointment, I swung by the store to get it, but when I got there, the clerk said someone else and bought it. I never imagined it was you!"

"I'm sorry!" Aishu blurted. "I didn't mean to take your gift! It's just…they were out of books and the game store was closed and I looked everywhere for a gift and couldn't find one and then I saw this and thought she would like it and ended up-"

"Breathe love!" Shizuru said, the two women unable to keep from laughing at the girls ramble. "It's ok! There is no reason to be sorry. I am actually quite impressed that you picked out a necklace that Natsuki loved and you weren't even there when she mentioned that she did!"

"You mean…you really don't hate it?"

Natsuki gazed at her when she asked this question, her heart breaking a little as she did. The girl looked really worried and scared.

"Awww…honey, did you really think I wouldn't like this?"

"W-well…I wanted to get you something perfect…" Aishu said softly, looking down. "I have never bought a present for someone before and well, I wanted to get something really good for you. Everyone kept saying that you would be happy with anything, but I was worried you wouldn't be. I just wanted you happy and I thought that if I gave you a bad gift, you'd be sad on your birthday."

Natsuki had almost teared up when she heard these words. This poor little girl had been worried sick about whether or not her gift would be hated all because she wanted the blunette to be happy.

"Baby…come here."

She pulled Aishu into a tight hug, kissing her on the head.

"Ai-chan, I love this gift so very much. I really do. But you know what? You could have given me a pet rock and I would have been happy."

Confused, she pulled back and looked up at the other.

"You would have? But why?"

"Because it would have been from you. What did you just say a few moments ago? That you wanted to make me happy! You went out and you spent time trying to find me something special all because you wanted that, and the fact that you took time to do so makes me feel happier than you know. Hell, even if you didn't get me anything, I still would have been happy just having you here for my birthday."

"…Really?"

"Of course! I have you and I have Shizuru, the two most important people in my life. How could I not be happy?"

Aishu's worried gaze softened, a small smile gracing her face. She was that important to Natsuki? And her being there was enough to make her happy? She made her feel that way?

"Natsu-chan…"

Aishu, feeling so relieved and pleased that the other loved the gift and was happy, wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, the woman, of course, hugging back.

"I am so glad you are happy. That makes me happy, too. Happy birthday, Natsu-chan."

Shizuru smiled as she watched the two. Natsuki had always been so worried about not doing a good job or of being a screw up. If only she could see how natural she was at this.

"Yes." Shizuru said, joining in on the hug and getting them both. "Happy birthday my dear one."

"Thank you…" Natsuki replied, her gaze soft and happy. "Thank you both. I am really glad I can spend it with you two.

"And we are more than happy to be here." Shizuru replied.

After a few more minutes of birthday hugs and giggles, Shizuru kissed them both on the head.

"All right, I have breakfast going downstairs. You guys ready?"

"Do we have to?" Aishu asked, enjoying the hugs a little too much. Both women were actually a bit shocked at how she was clinging, but they weren't complaining.

"Well, I mean, if you wanna stay here and snuggle…"

Oh yeah, that did it. Snuggling was so not happening.

"So…what was that about breakfast?" Aishu asked, pulling away from the both of the now laughing women.

"One of these days, Ai-chan." Shizuru said with a wink. "One of these days."

And with that, they all headed downstairs to eat, Aishu feeling ten times better that her gift was loved. Even more so in truly knowing and believing that no matter what she had given, Natsuki would have loved it anyways. The woman was just happy to have both herself and Shizuru there.

"_I can't believe I make her that happy. Do I make Shizu-chan that happy, too? I hope so. They make me so happy back. Maybe one day I will be able to say that to them. Maybe one day I will be able snuggle them and tell them how I truly feel. I am still too scared, but that's ok. Right now, they are happy, and so am I."_

* * *

**Aishu learns and gets through her past struggles a little more each day. There is still a lot she has to work on, but with the help of her friends and of Natsuki and Shizuru, she will slowly get over everything she is afraid of. -sniffs the air- Wait...what was that? Do I sniff a bit of trouble in the future chapters? Guess you will have to find out ;) For now, Chiyo begins to notice how derpy Aishu gets whenever she gets loving from her parents and hatches up a plan. Will they finally be able to cure Aishu's allergy to snuggles once and for all? Next chapter in the works!**


	8. Chapter 8

_I see the path from this dark place_

_I see the future_

_You have set me free, I can see another way_

_I can face another day_

Chapter Eight: The Cure for Allergies

_I see the future…_

Before they knew it, summer vacation had ended, a new September term now in play. For once, Aishu was actually excited to return to school, enjoying her drives to school with Shizuru as well as enjoying time with her friends a lot more than she used to. However, what Aishu had not been expecting was a tiny little change inside of her…a brand new allergy. One that was worse than her snuggle one and drove her crazy once is started up.

"Ne…I don't know why I feel so tired, Mom."

As usual, both Aishu and Chiyo were early to their homeroom, and while the brunette took her seat the moment they arrived, Chiyo went over to her mother, clinging to her tightly.

"My body feels so achy…"

"Aww, baby…"

Mai hugged her daughter close, gently rubbing her back. Now normally, no one would give a scene like this a second glance. It was only a mother loving her daughter after all. However, for Aishu, it was a little bit different. Scenes like this began having a very…_interesting_…effect on her.

"_So…cute…_"

A blushing brunette watched as the two interacted, warm and fuzzies taking over the eleven year olds soul. Ever since she began opening up more to Natsuki and Shizuru, she was unable to handle seeing sweet moments between a mother and child. In seeing them, her heart would do funny jumps, warm feelings hitting her chest so fast that she had zero time to react. In the end, she would turn into a blushing, stuttering, warm mess of fluff that suddenly and absolutely craved to do the mother daughter things she was witnessing with the two women back at home.

"_The way they are hugging…the way she comforted her and scratched her back…Chiyo just looks so content. I want that…Natsu-chan? Shizu-chan?"_

Her mind got all fuzzy, her allergic reaction to watching these things in high gear.

"Uh, Ai-chan?" Chiyo asked, both her and her mother looking back at the child. "You all right?"

The brunette opened her mouth to speak, but only an odd form of a squeak came out.

"…Ai-chan?"

"I want it, too!"

Without even thinking, Aishu had stood right up from her seat in a single, quick motion, her hands almost slamming the desk as she did so. Her cheeks were so red that no one would have been surprised if steam suddenly blew from her ears. Of course, she was quick to realize what had happened and sat back down, trying, and failing, to make up some sort of excuse as to why she did and said that.

"I mean...well…I…"

While Mai looked on with a little confusion, Chiyo smirked, knowing exactly what was going on for she had seen her friend do this before.

"_Interesting…_" The grey eyed girl thought.

Aishu was worried that Chiyo would tease her a little for that, and she probably would have, but luck was on her side at that moment, her two other friends finally walking in.

"_Oh god…what is happening?_" the girl asked herself, touching her face. That reaction was starting to become more of a common thing whenever motherly acts were witnessed, and now, all she wanted was her Natsuki and Shizuru because getting some loving sounded really good right now.

"_Oh dear…I think I'm broken. I never want it this much. Am I sick? Am I dying? This isn't good…this isn't good at all. Don't think like this Aishu. They're not really yours, so you can't want them this much, but…"_

Her chest was on fire. Regardless of whether they were hers or not, she still wanted them and there was nothing she could do to stop that feeling. She wanted them to be near…she wanted to be in their arms. She had even considered the possibility of snuggling with them lately, but she could never bring herself to do it.

"_Oh no…yearning for snuggles…I really must be sick._"

Deciding to put it out of her mind for now, she greeted the rest of her friends and let the day start. She didn't have the time to feel like this nor could she handle this allergy, and as the day went on, she had forgotten about the morning incident all together. It wasn't until after school did these thoughts creep back into her mind.

"You and your Mom are still coming to dinner tonight, right?"

"Mhm! Miko-kaa-chan with be working at the dojo with Natsu-chan, but me and Mai-kaa-chan are coming!"

Classes had finally ended for the day and, like always, Aishu was waiting at the gate for Shizuru to pick her up. Chiyo would also wait with her until that happened, joining up with her Mother back in the building once the brunette was gone. However, this was not a good bye to Chiyo day like all the other ones were for her and Mai were invited over for dinner, Aishu excited because Shizuru said she could help her cook tonight.

"Ne…Ai-chan?"

"Hm?"

"I was just curious…how come you hate snuggling?"

This question had taken the girl off guard.

"Wh-what?"

"How come you hate snuggling?" Chiyo asked again. "You like hugs now, don't you? Snuggling is like a never ending hug, so wouldn't you like it?"

Aishu, who was now blushing, leaned back against the nearby stone wall.

"No, because…I just don't. It's not really a big deal. There are a lot of things I don't like. For example, although they kiss me all the time, I don't kiss back, and although they tell me how special I am and how much they care about me, I never return the same words. Snuggling is the same. I just don't do it."

"But there has to be some reason why." Chiyo prodded. "Haven't you ever snuggled before?"

"A little, but that was a really long time ago. I think I was around five at the time, but-"

"Didn't you like it then?"

"M-maybe…I don't know, I-"

"So why don't you like it now?"

"Jeeze! What's with all the questions?"

Aishu's words were snappier than she had intended, and she could tell by the apologetic look on her friends face.

"I'm sorry…"

"No…no. I'm sorry." Aishu told her, immediately regretting the tone she had previously used. "I didn't mean to snap. It's just…the reason why I hate snuggles is complicated and stupid so…"

"Nothing you ever say is stupid, Ai-chan."

Aishu actually blushed a little when she heard this, slightly touched by Chiyo's softness, in turn making her more apt to speak.

"It's just…well…" She let out a small sigh. "Look, it's not that I hate them. I'm just…too scared to do it. You see, with hugs, I can have a quick moment of affection time…a quick moment of weakness, but then I can return to my usual self right after. But if I stay in a hug too long, that weakness feeling I have stays. I feel…vulnerable, like I am not so tough anymore. My guard goes completely down, and when it does, I get scared. You're right, snuggling is like a never ending up, and in knowing that, you can see why I can never bring myself to do it. I am afraid to be vulnerable around them."

Chiyo was silent as she listened, quietly taking in everything the girl was saying.

"I don't really like feeling weak or vulnerable around people. It's a side that I don't like letting others see."

"I see…" Chiyo said softly. "That's understandable. Though, I must admit…that must be exhausting."

Aishu furrowed her brows as she locked gazes with the other.

"Exhausting?"

"Yeah…" she replied. "I know that feeling you are talking about. When you are in someone's arms, allowing them to hold you in a loving way, you are showing that you trust them fully. You show them a softer and weaker side to yourself. That is a scary thing, yes, but…isn't it nice to have someone you can be like that with?"

Aishu's eyes widened a bit, her heart clenching as she listened.

"I feel like I would get tired of always trying to be tough. It sounds like hard work, and in a way, you're keeping people out, so doesn't it get lonely? You're not letting them see that side of you, and not letting them get that close. You're not trusting them. That's why I feel that having weak moments with someone who loves you is a good thing…that allowing someone to hold you and see your true self without judging is a relief. Like, whenever my mom's hold me, I just…melt. I feel comforted because I know that's the one place in the world I will always be safe in. Every bad feeling I have goes away and I feel happy again. I can also feel how much they love me when I'm held, too, and that makes me feel even happier. So, while I feel that being vulnerable and having weak moments can be scary, it can also feel good if you have those moments with the right person."

Aishu looked away from the other, a new feeling, along with shock, swimming around her heart.

"_Being vulnerable with the right person is…a good thing?"_

Aishu had never really thought about it that way before. Maybe, just maybe, it _was_ a little exhausting being tough all the time…and a little lonely. Because of her fear, she had pushed away things like snuggling, allowing her to never feel how good it could be if she gave in. Yes, there was a part of her that wanted to sink into the arms of Natsuki and Shizuru, but…she was just scared.

"_It's really all right to feel that? It's really ok to show that side?_"

"Hey you two."

Looking back, they saw that Mai was behind them.

"Mom!"

Chiyo instantly ran into her arms.

"You're out early!"

"Yep! I figured that instead of making you meet me up there that I would meet you down here and wait with you guys until Shizuru came."

Chiyo seemed really excited about this, but when she looked back at Aishu, a sneaky little thought ran through her mind.

"Hey Mom? There is something I want to try…" she told the woman, softly whispering the plan right after. Mai smirked a little as she listened and was more than happy to play along. When they finished…

"Chiiiiyoooo."

Aishu turned to look at the two, but was taken off guard by what she saw, her allergy to sweet motherly moments hitting her like a brick.

"Mommy!"

Chiyo, who had a huge smile on her face, was now on her mother's back, Mai holding her as if giving her a piggy back ride. The girl then rested her head on Mai's shoulder, the woman nuzzling her cheek lovingly.

"I love you, you know that?"

Chiyo blushed, smiling and nuzzling back.

"I do…I love you, too."

"That's my girl. You and your Mother are my life and I love you both forever and always. Don't ever forget that."

Ok…this was too much. Way too much.

"What's wrong, Ai-chan?" Chiyo asked.

Aishu, whose face was now deep red, muttered out a small series of squeaks.

"_So…much…loving…_"

"Ai-chan?"

"I have to go!" she said suddenly.

"Wait, go?"

"Yes! I'm sorry. I'll…I'll see you tonight!"

And with that, Aishu took off in the other direction. Once she was gone…

"See?" Chiyo said with a smirk. "It does work."

Mai, who was giggling at this, just shook her head.

"Now that it funny."

"And you know what? Tonight when we have dinner with them, I have the perfect plan.

* * *

Her mind was still all fuzzy as she ran. Damn her and her allergic reactions.

"_That was way too sweet…and this feeling…it makes me want them…_"

And because of that, before she knew it, she came to a stop right in front of the place she had been running to.

"Shizu-chan…" she whispered. Yep, without even a second though, she had run to the school right next to hers, Azuba High. She had wanted to get there before the other left, craving her warmth.

Walking inside, she climbed to the third floor and went in search for the classroom.

"_I hope this is ok. She did say that I could come here when I needed something, but…_"

Stopping in her tracks, she looked up and read a sign that said 307. Exactly what she was looking for. Peeking in, she found the woman packing some books into her tote back, looking as if she was readying to leave. It seemed Aishu had perfect timing.

"Ne…Sh-Shizu-chan?"

She was hoping that she was not going to be a bother, but when the woman looked up, a look of happiness spread on her face.

"Ai-chan! Come in!"

Shyly, she entered the room, stopping when she was a few inches from the other.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to randomly show up. I was just…"

"Oh don't be sorry, silly!" Shizuru said back. "I was just coming to get you anyways. You all right?"

Aishu nodded.

"Y-yeah. I…I just wanted to save you a trip."

Code words for "I really just wanted to see you." But of course, she couldn't actually say that.

"Aww sweetie." She said, closing her bag. "I am more than happy to see you here, but don't ever think I mind picking you up either. I-"

When she looked back at the girl again, she saw a funny little look in her eyes.

"Ai-chan?"

Before Shizuru had any chance to react, Aishu stepped in closer and wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging the woman tightly. Shizuru was not expecting it, but she definitely wasn't complaining. In fact, she was ecstatic and happily hugged the girl back.

"Well I missed you, too cutie. You sure you are ok?"

"Yeah…I'm ok."

After that, the two drove home, Aishu doing the same exact thing to Natsuki seconds after she walked through the door.

"Woah!" Natsuki said with a giggle. "Hey there, little girl. Have a good day?"

Aishu nodded, Natsuki squeezing her a little bit tighter.

"Good. I'm glad. You all right?"

"Yeah." She said back, not saying much after. She had just wanted her Natsuki.

"_My Natsuki…am I even allowed to say that?"_

After a few more moments, they pulled away.

"So, I hear Mai and Chiyo are coming for dinner. You excited?"

Aishu nodded again.

"It will be fun!" Shizuru added. "And what makes it better is that I get to show a few cooking tricks to you, too, but we have to get started soon. Ai-chan, why don't you go get washed up and then we can get dinner going."

"Ok…" she replied.

"And I am going to go open up the dojo. We'll have some you and me time when I come home. Sound good?"

"Yeah. See you soon." The little girl replied, and with that, she headed up to her room.

"And now you…get over here."

With a smile, Shizuru walked over and slipped into her lover's arms, the two happily kissing.

"Hello beautiful." Natsuki greeted. "How was your day?"

"It went well, thank you." Shizuru replied. "How was yours?"

"Mine went well, too. Got a lot of my errands done, and hey…is Aishu really ok?"

"You know, I wondered the same thing earlier. Instead of me picking her up, she met me in my classroom, and the next thing I know, she is hugging me. She says she is ok, but, I don't know. Maybe she is feeling clingy today."

"Maybe…" Natsuki said back, slipping into her jacket and grabbing her gym bag off the table. "I mean, to be the one initiating hugs, she must be in a super clingy mood. Not that I am complaining of course. Anyways, I'll be back later. You have a good time, okay? I love you."

"I will. You be safe and I love you, too."

And after one more kiss, Natsuki left the house.

After that, the night seemed to pass on fast. Mai and Chiyo came over and had a really good dinner made by both Aishu and Shizuru. When they had finished, they all settled into the living and chatted with each other for a good while, Chiyo picking at Aishu playfully while the women got a kick out of it. At one point, Shizuru got up to use the bathroom, leaving Aishu alone with Mai and Chiyo. This was when Chiyo decided to strike.

"Ready?" she whispered to her mom. Mai nodded in return.

"I don't know why, but I feel tired all of a sudden." Aishu said, closing her eyes and letting out a yawn as she curled up into a chair. "Maybe it's the food."

"Could be." Mai said back. "Thinking of turning in early tonight?"

Opening her eyes, she looked over at the other two.

"Maybe. I might go-"

….

Oh yes, dead silence, Aishu's eyes widening at what she saw. Already her cheeks were reddening, her body tensing up.

"_What…what do they think they are doing?!"_

There on the couch was a scene Aishu was not expecting to see. With Mai sitting up, Chiyo had slipped onto her lap and scooted in close, her chest against her mother's with her head tucked beneath the woman's chin. Mai in turn had her arms around her daughter, hugging her close and kissing her head.

"You comfortable my love?" Mai asked.

"Mhm." Chiyo said softly, blushing slightly. Even though she was doing this to get Aishu going, she couldn't deny how good it felt to be in her Mother's arms.

"_This…is too…just…_"

Aishu's allergies kicked in all over again, her whole body going into warm and fuzzy overload.

"_That looks…so comfy…_"

And it did. Chiyo looked so content being all tucked in like that, like she was in the safest place in the world.

"_That's what she said before…that her Mother's arms were the safest place in the world. I…I wish…_"

Her heart did its normal funny jump, followed by the sudden need for Natsuki and Shizuru.

"_But I couldn't do that with them…I mean…I just couldn't…"_

Aishu shifted in her chair, face as red as a tomato.

"Ne…you're so warm." Chiyo said to her mother, Mai hugging her tighter.

"_Warm?" _Aishu thought. "_Warm…it looks it. I bet that feels nice…_"

"Mothers always have to be warm because it is how they keep their children warm. The warmth a child feels represents how much a mother loves them."

Aishu's heart clenched hard.

"_Oh god…so soft…Wait, I can't watch this. I can't…it makes me need…_"

"I'm back!" Shizuru said, entering the room. "Do you guys n-"

But the woman couldn't finish her sentence. Hell, she didn't even get that far into the room. Why?

"Ai-chan?"

The woman looked down at the little girl who was now standing by her side.

"_I need…I need…_"

"Are you ok?"

Aishu said nothing, eyes glued to the floor, her face still bright red with a mixture of shyness and confusion clearly showing.

"Ai-chan, wha-"

But the woman was cut off again, this time by the little girl gently tugging on her sleeve, and as she did this, she lifted her other hand and pointed at the other two on the couch. Looking over at them with slight confusion, Shizuru wondered what the girl was trying to say, and when silence followed this action, Aishu did it again, pulling gently at the woman's sleeve and keeping her finger pointed. She wanted to look up and say something, but couldn't bring herself to do it, feeling too shy and embarrassed to do anything but look down.

Looking up at them again, Shizuru watched as Mai pointed at Chiyo and then hugged her tight, pointing back at Aishu after. Within a few seconds of these actions, she understood what was going on, her eyes widening slightly in shock, but warming up immediately when she looked down at the brunette. It was definitely an unexpected request, but she was more than willing to comply.

"Come here." She said softly, bringing the girl to the couch and taking a seat.

At first, Aishu didn't move, her nervousness making it hard.

"It's ok, little one." Shizuru said encouragingly. "I promise."

After hearing those words, she finally moved, slipping onto the woman's lap and falling into the same position as Chiyo, her head resting comfortably on Shizuru's chest. Once they were settled, Shizuru's arms locked tightly around the girl, Aishu now hiding her face as she was too shy to be seen.

"I think we'll take our leave now." Mai said with a smile as the two got up. "Thank you for the dinner."

"Any time." Shizuru replied. "Thank you for coming. Good bye Mai, Chiyo-chan."

"See you later." Mai replied, and as they took their leave, one would be able to see a very victorious smirk on Chiyo's face.

After they had gone, everything went completely silent. She felt bad for not saying good bye herself, but she was too afraid to speak, even more so to move.

"_I shouldn't be doing this…I shouldn't be doing this._"

Her body was tense, and when the woman gave a little squeeze, she felt it tense even more.

"It's all right, baby. You're safe."

Safe…safe…

"_Isn't that the word Chiyo used?"_

She was safe, wasn't she?

"_And she was right…it is warm…_"

As Aishu started to slowly calm down, she began noticing other little things. The sound of the woman's heartbeat, (which proved to be a comfortable lullaby), the rose like smell of her perfume…

"_This…this isn't so bad. Is this ok? Is it really ok?_"

As time went on, she could feel her toughness leaving her, her vulnerability out in the open. It scared her to death, but at the same time…

"_I don't want to leave her arms…I want to stay. I almost wish…I could be like this forever."_

But she knew she couldn't. In fact, the more that she thought, the more she started to question herself. What if this wasn't a good thing? What if this was bad? What if the woman didn't even want to snuggle right now in the first place?

"_After all…you did kind of shove it on her…_"

"I'm sorry." She suddenly blurted out.

"For what?"

"If you're busy…"

"I'm not."

"Are you sure?"

"Very much so."

"Well…if you get bored…"

"Bored?"

She felt a warm kiss on her head, the hug becoming tighter.

"I could never ever get bored snuggling my little girl."

Aishu's heart froze when she heard this, her somewhat relaxed body tensing up again.

"_Her…little girl?"_

She had never been someone's little girl before. Those words were foreign to her ears and made her heart do funny things.

"_But…but…how can I be that when I am really not. I'm not…I'm just…_"

Her mind flooded with thoughts, but she said nothing about them. In fact, no words were even exchanged, the two just sitting there in silence. At one point, Shizuru began humming and scratching the girls back, but other than that, nothing. After all, no words for this moment were needed.

More time passed as the two sat and snuggled, the girl having no clue how long they were there, but between the hugging, the sound of the heartbeat, and the warmth, Aishu began to fall asleep.

"_I'm not…I'm not hers…I'm not theirs…_" she thought as she drifted off, her body completely relaxed. "_I'm not but…more than anything…I wish I could be._"

* * *

"I'm home!"

Dropping her bag off on the table, she headed into the living room.

"Hey, did Mai leave already? That's too bad. I-"

As she entered the room, she found herself stopping in her tracks, her mouth almost dropping open at what she saw.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Shhh." Shizuru said with a smile and a wink. "She's sleeping."

Quietly padding over there, she took a seat beside her wife and rubbing the back of the sleeping girl.

"How the hell did you pull this off?"

"Well, to be honest…I don't really know what happened. I left the room to use the bathroom, and when I came back, she walked up to me, tugged on my sleeve, and then pointed at Mai and Chiyo, who were also snuggling on the couch."

"Wait…you mean she asked you for snuggles?"

"I suppose in a way, yes she did."

Natsuki found herself giggling a little, curling up closer to the two.

"Wow, if all these moments happen while I am at work, I never want to go in again."

Shizuru laughed lightly at this, keeping the young one close and kissing her head every so often. Natsuki herself gave the girl a kiss, too.

"You two look so cute."

"Mmmmm…I am loving this right now. I am so proud she did it. You'll see, come tomorrow she will probably be all over you."

Natsuki couldn't help but smile at the thought as she rested her head on the couch.

"She's such a good girl. We are pretty lucky to have her."

As she said these words, something ticked in her heart, causing her face to falter slightly.

"You know…the new year isn't too far away…"

"No…it's not." Shizuru said softly. "It'll come fast. You thinking about what we spoke of a few nights back?"

The blunette nodded.

"We never got to finish that conversation." Shizuru continued. "Tell me, what are your thoughts?"

"Well…" she said slowly. "When we both decided to foster a child, we knew that there was a high chance we would end up adopting whoever came to stay."

Taking in a child had been a huge step for them, but they wanted one more than anything, and not just one to foster, but one to keep. They kept that part a secret from Aishu, wanting her to get comfortable first.

"We did…" Shizuru said back. "Do you still…"

Natsuki let out a small sigh, reaching out to gently stroke Aishu's hair.

"You know…even though I was nervous, I was excited to take in a child. I wanted kids as much as you did, and I knew that no matter how the child was, we would love it. But, what I wasn't expecting was…"

"To fall this much in love…" Shizuru finished.

Natsuki nodded.

"I mean, I knew I would fall in love with whatever child we got, but just…I wasn't ready for how deep it was going to be. I love Aishu to death, and Shizuru…"

Glazed over emerald eyes locked with crimson ones.

"I don't want to let her go."

At this point, Shizuru's eyes began watering, too.

"I don't either…I really don't. God this girl is amazing. She is so full of life and love even if she doesn't see it. I have fallen in love just as much as you. I want to watch her grow. I want to be there for her when she is sad. I want to give her every ounce of love that she deserves."

Scooting closer, Natsuki slipped her arm around the sleeping Aishu, resting her head against Shizuru's shoulder.

"Then let's keep her."

Silence passed after these words were spoken, the two focused solely on the young child.

"Natsuki…I couldn't even dream of giving her away."

A smile now appeared on both of their faces. Aishu was a huge part of their lives, and a part they could never throw away. She was too special and they wanted to keep her in their family forever.

"Do you think…she would be ok with that?" Natsuki asked.

"I think so." Shizuru said softly. "She's happy here…I can tell. However, I think we should keep it quiet just a little longer. She still struggles with some things and I want to give her some more time to come out. I don't want to tell her too soon and have her get too nervous."

Natsuki agreed, although she couldn't help but snicker right after.

"You have to admit, she has changed a lot from day one. Bet if you would have told her before that she would be snuggling us within seven months, she would have punched you in the face."

Shizuru laughed a little harder at this. That sure as hell sounded like Aishu.

"I agree though. Let's give her some more time. For now, let me help you get her to bed."

Within a few minutes, they had Aishu up in her room and tucked away in her bed. Before they left, she held each other and eyed the girl before them, their gazes full of happiness and love.

"Hey…we're gonna be mothers." Shizuru said softly.

"Mhm." Natsuki said with a giggle. "We're gonna have a little girl."

Pulling away, they fixed the covers to tuck her in more and leaned in to give her a good night kiss, and as they did, Shizuru whispered sweet words that subconsciously warmed the little girl's heart.

"Sleep well my love and we'll see you in the morning. You are so loved, and don't ever forget that…don't ever forget my beautiful girl…my beautiful daughter."

**A/N: Woohoo! Natsuki and Shizuru want to keep her! But...wait...-sniffs the air again- I still smell trouble right around the corner. What will happen next? New chapter in the works!**


	9. Chapter 9

_She won't turn around_

_The shadows are long and she fears_

_If she cries that first tear_

_The tears will not stop raining down_

Chapter 9: Realization

_If she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down…_

After the whole snuggling event, many things began to change. There had been nothing left for Aishu to shuffle away from, so by mid-November, she freely hugged, snuggled, and gave kisses, too. She wasn't good with her words quite yet, a small part of her still very afraid to verbally express the love and care she had for the women, but no one minded. They wanted her to take her time with things and were proud of how far she had gotten already.

"Good mooooorning."

The young brunette slowly opened her eyes, finding herself looking into a pair of emerald green ones.

"Murr…"

Natsuki giggled at the sleepiness of the other, tapping the young girl's nose cutely.

"Hey there, sleepy head. It's about time to get up for school.

Aishu gave a little stretch and a yawn, her body feeling all floppy. After, she scooted through the blankets and slipped into the blunette's arms, nuzzling up under her chin while her hands clung to the fabric of the woman's clothes gently.

"Mmm…now that's cheating." Natsuki told her, kissing her head as she snuggled back. "How can I get you up when you're acting all cute like this?"

Aishu smirked, not wanting to move in the slightest. On the previous night, Aishu had joined them in their bedroom for a movie. Snuggling commenced not long after she had climbed into their bed, and thanks to that, she never left.

"I'm trying to get up. I really am…but you're just so warm."

Natsuki snickered at this, scratching at the girl's back gently.

"Hey now…don't hog all the fun."

From behind, she could hear the voice of Shizuru. Seconds later, she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist, the woman's face nuzzling into Aishu's soft, brown locks. Aishu's smile only grew at this, the girl getting motherly love form both sides.

"Now I really wish I didn't have to get up…" the child said softly.

The embrace from both women got tighter, Aishu unable to wipe that happy look off her face. Once she had gotten over her initial allergy to snuggling, she had realized how great it truly was. It felt so good to be in their arms and she could never quite get enough.

"But alas, we do have to move." Shizuru said with a sigh, disliking the fact that they had to. "But look at it this way, it's Friday! Therefore we have the whole weekend to snuggle up. Sound good?"

Aishu nodded her head, loving the idea.

"Good good." Shizuru said back, kissing her head. "All right, why don't you go start getting ready and we'll go get breakfast going."

"Okay." She said back. She went to go sit up, but within seconds, she was pulled right back down again.

"Hold on…one more hug." Natsuki mumbled.

Aishu giggled, not complaining in the slightest as both women snuggled her right back up.

"Oh little one…" Shizuru said softly. "We love you so much."

Aishu felt her heart do its familiar jump inside her chest. Those words were coming out more and more…and those words were some of many she had trouble returning. It wasn't because she didn't feel that way. She did. She loved them both very much, but every time she tried to tell them, her voice would lock up and no words would come out.

"All right then, cutie. Go on and get ready and Natsuki and I will meet you downstairs."

With one last kiss, Aishu finally slipped from the bed and back to her room.

"_I love you guys, too._" She said to herself. "_So much…if I feel this way, then why can't I…"_

Once she was changed and ate breakfast, she was off to school where her day was going just as well as her morning had. She had aced the test she took the day before, she got extra points on the essay she had written because of how well it was done, and her team won the soccer match in gym class. Her day was literally going perfect, so come lunch time, she was in a ridiculously good mood.

"Ne, we can always tell when Aishu starts off her day with snuggles because she always comes to class all fluffed up!"

As usual, the four were sitting beneath their tree during lunch, Chiyo doing her normal and picking on Aishu.

"And what of it?!" Aishu said back with a blush on her face.

"It's just so cute!" Chiyo replied.

"It is not!"

Everyone broke into a fit of giggles, watching the two go at it never getting old.

"Really though, Ai-chan." Said Rei. "You do seem to be a lot happier lately.

"You do!" Daichi added. "It's nice to see. And what, today's November 15th, right? So you've been here exactly nine months already!"

It was hard to believe she'd been there that long, even harder to believe how much she had changed since day one.

"Are you really happy, Ai-chan?"

Aishu thought about this for a moment, her mind trailing over everything that had happened so far. Yes, things were hard and rough for a while, and yes, saying some things still scared her, but overall…

"Yes. I'm happy. Very happy."

"Good." Chiyo replied. "You deserve to be."

"We're glad you're happy, Ai-chan." Daichi told her. "It really is good to see you that way."

"And who knows?" Rei added with a wink. "Perhaps more happiness will be coming your way very soon."

Though she didn't quite understand why that was said with a wink, everyone else did. After Natsuki and Shizuru had made their decision, they shared it with their friends, the kids also learning of the pending adoption. This left Aishu the only one unaware of the surprise that awaited her.

"Why would happiness come to any of you rejects?"

Aishu's face fell slightly when she heard these words, the voice belonging to someone she really didn't want to see that day…or ever actually. She had been lucky enough to not have many encounters with him since their return from summer vacation, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Go away, Heero." Rei said with some annoyance. "No one feels like dealing with you today."

"Aww, I'm hurt." He replied with a mocking tone before snickering. "Whatever losers, I can talk to you all I want, isn't that right, Aishu?"

The brunette said nothing, doing her best to block him out.

"Leave her alone. Chiyo told him.

"Or what?"

"Or I swear I will-"

"Daichi!"

Rei put her hand on her brother to keep him from getting up, urging him to calm down.

"That's right, little boy. Better listen to your sister. You wouldn't want your mommies finding out you have been trying to start fights at school. Speaking of mommies, how is life with your so called "foster parents" Aishu?"

Aishu still didn't answer, though her anger was beginning to rise the more he heard his voice.

"They still feeding you that cockbull story of how you're cared for and blah blah blah?"

Still nothing, but Heero wasn't done yet.

"You're pretty stupid if you believe them, you know? Haven't adult words always been empty for you? I mean, come on, you don't have a family. You belong nowhere and you're not wanted.

"Shut it, Heero." Rei shouted.

"Or maybe you're not the stupid one. Maybe you're not the stupid one at all. I mean, with taking you in and wasting their time on a really pathetic kid, perhaps they are the ones who are stupid.

Yeah, bad move.

"They're not stupid."

Aishu was pissed now. Normally, after hearing Heero, she would start feeling down and question all the good things that had been happening to her. This time, however, it was different, anger over his words taking filling her instead of worries.

"What did you say?"

"I said they're not stupid."

Aishu then stood up, turning to face the boy head on, the anger boiling inside her clear on her face.

"Aww, what's the matter? Did I make you upset?" It's not my fault you can't handle the truth. You are pathetic and they are stupid if they say otherwise. You-"

"Look here you ass…" She hissed, cutting him off. Not only did he look shocked, but her friends looked shocked as well. Heero's look of shocked quickly changed to anger, however, the boy taking a step closer.

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter?" Aishu asked. "I said look here you ass. I am sick and tired of listening to you run your mouth on situations you don't even understand."

"I can say whatever I want. I don't have to listen to some unwanted idiot like you."

"I'm not unwanted."

"Oh what, did they tell you that? Did they say you were wanted? Well, if they did, not only are they stupid, but they're liars, too."

"Shut up…"

"Stupid pathetic liars that took in a child who was more pathetic and worthless than them."

"Stop calling them names…" she said lowly, her fists clenched and shaking.

"Stupid…pathetic…worthless…liars.

Aishu had now hit her breaking point.

"If there is anyone stupid here, it's you." She snarled. "You walk around here like you're all high and mighty when really, you look like a fool. You think people actually care about what you think, but they don't. You're not the greatest thing around here like you claim to be, but the worse. You are the most pig-headed, lowest, and brainless kid that has ever-ahh!"

Mid spat, Heero lost his cool and threw a punch and Aishu, knocking her back.

"Aishu!" Daichi shouted, all her friends now getting up. They never got a chance to reach her though because not even half a second after getting hit, Aishu threw a punch that was much harder than Heero's right back at him, knocking him square in the nose. She then tackled and rammed him into the ground, punching his bloodied face again.

She could feel her friends fight to pull her back, but she was too busy trying to get another hit in, her anger wild. It wasn't until Mai, who happened to see what went on from a distance, ran over and finally pulled the child away.

"Aishu, calm down!"

At first, she didn't listen, fighting hard against Mai's hold.

"Aishu please, it's over! Take it easy!"

It took a few more moments, but eventually, she stopped, her body still shaking in anger.

"It's ok, Aishu." She said, still trying to calm the girl down. "Just look at me…look at me."

Aishu, whose gaze had been locked on to the boy who was still on the ground covering his bloody face, finally looked away, her angered eyes now locked onto Mai's.

"Shh." She said softly, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket. There had been a split on her lip from when Heero hit her, Mai now trying to stop the bleeding. "It's ok now…it's done. Come on, let's go see the nurse."

* * *

"_God I hope she is all right…_"

Panicked footsteps walked in a fast pace down the hall, Shizuru anxious to get to her destination. While on her own lunch, she had received a call from Aishu's school stating that she had been in a fight. This both scared and worried her, the woman wasting no time in finding a sub to cover her class for the rest of the day.

"Shizuru!"

Looking behind her, she found her wife, who she had contacted herself about this, trying to catch up with her. When she was by her side, they took off together.

"What else did they tell you?" Natsuki asked.

"Nothing but the fact that she had been fighting. That doesn't sound like her at all. I hope she is all right."

"I hope so, too." Natsuki replied back, "Look, there she is."

Sitting on the bench outside of the principal's office sat the young girl, Mai sitting by her side. When the older woman saw the other two, she got up and met with them quickly.

"What happened?" Natsuki asked. "Is she all right?"

"She's doing just fine. "Mai answered. "She has a cut on her lip, but other than that she is ok."

"How did this even happened?" asked Shizuru.

"Well, there is a boy here by the name of Heero. According to Chiyo and the other kids, they are often bullied by him, especially Aishu. He claims they are rejects because they don't have birth parents. Today seemed to be Aishu's breaking point though. Words were exchanged and Heero threw the first punch. That's when I started running over there, but Aishu had already hit back and was on top of the kid by the time I got there. I didn't hear all of the words that were said, but the kids did, along with a large group of students who managed to see the fight. Because there were so many witnesses, and because she has a clean record and did not throw the first hit, they are letting her off with nothing but a serious warning. They do, however, want to send her home for the day."

"Ai-chan…" Shizuru said softly.

"She really is ok. Chiyo and the others knew why she had gotten so angry, but I think it's best of you hear it from her."

"Yeah…" Natsuki replied, her gaze sad as she stared at the child. "Thank you so much for being there and taking care of her."

"It's not a problem at all." Mai said back. "I am just glad the cut was the only thing she got. Anyways, I have to get back to my class. Will you say bye to her for me?"

"We will." Shizuru replied. "Thank you again."

And with that, they went their separate ways, Shizuru and Natsuki walking over to the bench and taking a seat on either side of the child.

"Ai-chan?"

Aishu didn't move, the girl sporting a dark look on her face as she stared at the ground.

"Oh baby…" Shizuru said sadly when she saw her lip. The bleeding had finally stopped, but you could tell it hurt. "Talk to use sweetie."

Aishu didn't reply, her eyes still low.

"We're not mad." Natsuki told her. "Though we don't condone hitting, we know he started it. Tell us what happened love."

Aishu shifted slightly in her seat, but finally spoke.

"I'm sorry…"

"No baby, no. It's ok." Shizuru told her, hugging her tight. "No sorries."

"He just…he said things."

"What things?" Natsuki asked.

"He…he said I was stupid…stupid and pathetic…"

"Why would he say that?"

"Because I have no parents…He says that because I am eleven and have no parents that no one is ever going to want me. That I'm…unwanted."

Both hearts of the older woman broke when they heard this. They knew how much of a hard time she had accepting the fact that people cared about here, and it wasn't right for the other to make her think otherwise.

"You know that's not true." Natsuki told her, slipping her hand into Aishu's. "You are wanted. Shizuru and I love and care about you very much."

"I know…" Aishu replied. "I know you guys care about me and love me. You don't ever let me forget."

The two were actually slightly shocked for Aishu didn't usually say words like that, but continued to comfort her regardless.

"I know all the things he said about me were lies. Those words upset me, but they weren't the reason that really made me mad. They weren't the reason I hit back."

Natsuki's eyes furrowed a bit when she heard this.

"Then…what was it that made you so angry?"

Aishu was silent for a moment before she answered.

"He…he called you liars."

That had been the real reason she lost her cool, the real reason her anger rose so quickly.

"He called you both stupid…pathetic…and worthless liars. And you're not…you're not…"

Aishu could feel her eyes glazing over, tears burning behind them.

"You're none of what he said. He doesn't know anything and I wasn't going to let him say those things. It wasn't right…you guys are the best people I know. He can say whatever he wants about me, but you…he isn't allowed to say anything about you. I care about both of you…and I wasn't gonna let him put you guys down like that."

More unexpected words left the two silence after she spoke.

"_She didn't get angry and hit to defend herself…she got angry and hit to defend…us?_"

The girl had been defending them, not caring about what was said to herself.

"It just wasn't fair…" she said, her voice cracking.

"Hey, hey…it's ok." Shizuru said softly. "No, it wasn't fair, but it's all over now, all right? No more worries. Look at me, love."

When Shizuru slipped her hand under Aishu's chin to lift her head, both her eyes and Natsuki's widened at what they saw. Even Aishu herself was silently shocked at what was happening, but she couldn't help it. She could no longer hold it in…

"Natsu-chan…Shizu-chan…"

"Aww, baby…" Shizuru said when she saw her tear streaked face. "Baby no, it's ok. Come here."

She pulled the girl into a tight hug, Natsuki hugging her from the other side.

"It's ok, Ai-chan." Natsuki whispered. "We are right here."

At this moment, Aishu broke down even more, tears falling freely down her cheeks. Everything just hurt. She was upset and angry and the only thing she wanted was…

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be." Shizuru told her. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. Nothing at all."

After that, the two just comforted her and let her cry, wanting the girl to get it all out. After a good while, Aishu finally started to calm.

"Are you all right?" Shizuru asked,

Aishu nodded, wiping away the rest of her tears.

"Yeah…I'm sorry you guys had to come out here."

"Hey." Natsuki said, also wiping away a few stray tears and poking her nose. "We told you, no more sorries. But, always know you can come to us or any teacher in the school if someone is bothering you okay?"

Aishu nodded again.

"Although…I do have to say, we are pretty proud of you." Shizuru told her. "We are proud and very glad that you know that we really do love you and care about you. We would never lie."

"I know…" she said softly, leaning on Natsuki as she rubbed her eyes. "I trust you."

"All right then love." Shizuru replied. "Why don't we head on home them, okay? Come on baby."

The three them stood up to leave, but before they could, they were stopped by a passing student and teacher, the student holding an ice pack to his face and sporting blood all over his shirt as he walked into the principal's office.

Looking back at Aishu and then back at the boy, Natsuki asked,

"Was that the kid?"

"Yeah…"

"And you left him looking like that?"

"Um…yeah?"

"Well damn." She said, patting Aishu's back. "It looks like you punched him just the way I taught you. Good job. Hitting is never good…but damn…well done."

Aishu finally smiled when she heard this, slightly amused, Shizuru giving Natsuki that look even though she couldn't help but smile, too. Natsuki would never promote hitting, but she was pretty damn proud of that.

* * *

Once they were home, Shizuru took care of that lip a bit more before letting Aishu change. Once Aishu did, she went out for a walk on her own, needing some fresh air, and while she did that, Shizuru and Natsuki settled down at the kitchen table. Before Shizuru sat though, she grabbed some folded up pieces of paper from the counter and placed them in the center, the two looking at each other right after. That was yet another sweet joy of their wonderful marriage. They always knew exactly what the other was thinking.

"She didn't do it because of the comments towards her." Shizuru said softly. "She did it because of the comments towards us. She defended us."

"She did." Natsuki said back. "And she even admitted things she doesn't usually say out loud, like caring about us…and she truly knows we care and love her more than anything."

More silence passed between them, a hint of excitement lingering in the air. Natsuki reached over and slipped her hand into her wife's, their fingers interlocking tightly.

"It's time?" Natsuki asked.

Shizuru took the papers from the middle of the table and opened them up, the top few words reading "adoption form".

"Yes. It's time."

* * *

The fall air was a bit chilly as Aishu walked, though with her mind so sucked into other things, she didn't even notice. Flashes of the fight kept passing through her head, Heero's words repeating themselves over and over.

"_But they weren't true…none of it was."_

She had never been so angry in her entire life. When that whole thing had happened, she never planned on getting that mad and hitting back, but, it just happened. She was glad she didn't get in trouble for it though. She thought Natsuki and Shizuru would kill her, but they weren't mad at all, and even though she knew Heero deserved it, she wasn't a hitter and would take care to never do that again.

Stopping in her tracks, she looked up at the sky, her hands tucked into her blue sweatshirt.

"_I also told them that…I cared. That I cared about them…and that I know how much they loved me._"

She had always had trouble speaking things like that, but without even trying, those words had come out so easily back at the school. She was surprised at how they had simply slipped out, as if she had never had a problem speaking them before.

"_How did I say those things so easily…how was it I…"_

She placed her hand over her chest, her heart feeling funny.

"_Maybe it's just…maybe it's just not that hard after all. Their feelings are real, I know that. I know they're real. I know…they're…"_

It was in that moment she felt something suddenly click in her heart, a feeling she had never experienced before.

"_They're real…It's not like before. Their feelings are actually real!"_

It was then the realization hit her. In the past, she had heard these words before, but in the end, they were always empty. They had zero meaning and had no life, but these ones…the ones from Natsuki and Shizuru…those had life. Those had meaning. They loved her…they truly loved her.

"_And…and I love them, too."_

A small smile appeared on her face, a new feeling beating in her chest, and before she knew it, she had turned and began to run.

"_I'm loved…I'm loved!"_

She felt like she was floating on air.

"_They mean everything they say! Their words have life. I'm loved and I love them, too. I want to tell them that…I need to!"_

"Shizuru, I am going to go wait for Aishu." She called as she stepped out the door. She was excited to be able to share the news soon, yet nervous at the same time. How would the girl react?

As she walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk, she found Aishu running back from the opposite side of the street. When the two met gazes, they each smiled.

"_I need to tell them! I want to tell them!"_

"Natsu-chan!"

Natsuki, whose smile was growing, called the child over.

"Get in these arms you. I need my Ai-chan hug."

She didn't need to be told twice. Within seconds of hearing this, she started across the street, but as she did…

"What the…"

Natsuki readied to pull the girl into her arms, but when she took her gaze off the running child for a moment, she saw a car tearing down the street, and with how fast it was going…

"Aishu! Move!"

Aishu looked to her side, freezing up in fear when she saw the car coming towards her. The driver took notice and hit the brakes, but if Aishu didn't move, it would skid right into her.

"Aishu!"

Without a second thought, Natsuki jetted out into the street, her arms out and ready to get the girl.

_-Slam! _-

**...**


	10. Chapter 10

_Everywhere I turn, I hurt someone_

_But there's nothing I can say to change the things I've done_

_Of all the thing I did to you, I cannot hide the shame_

_And I pray someone, something will come, and take away the pain_

Chapter Ten: Runaway

_And I pray someone, something will come, and take away the pain_

"_Aishu! Move!_"

She saw that car coming…she saw it heading straight her way, and yet as she watched it skid into her direction, she couldn't bring herself to move…

What happened next was something she had not been expecting, the moment happening so quickly that she hadn't processed it until she watched it with her own eyes. One minute, she was standing alone, and the next, she was shoved to the side, hitting the ground hard, and as she looked up to see what happened, she saw Natsuki standing in her place.

None of the fear she had ever felt in the past compared to the fear she experienced at that very moment.

* * *

"She's very lucky. The driver hit his breaks just in time so the impact of the skid wasn't as hard as it could have been. It was still a hard one, yes, but she will be all right."

A teary eyed Shizuru sighed in relief as she heard these words. She had walked out of the house door right in time to see Aishu get pushed out of the way and Natsuki get hit, her heart literally coming to a stop from witnessing it.

"Thank god. What are her injuries?"

"Well, she's got a broken wrist, several bruised ribs, a somewhat deep cut on her head and several smaller ones on her body. She also suffered a mild concussion, but she is expected to make a full recovery. You and your daughter can actually go in and see her now if you'd like."

The idea of her wife hurt like that literally broke her heart, but she was so over joyed to know that she would be ok.

"All right Doctor, we will. Thank you so much."

When the two parted ways, Shizuru looked back at the little girl curled up on one of the padded benches in the hallway with her face hidden, her own heart breaking even more at the sight of it. When the accident happened, she was petrified they had both gotten hurt. Aishu, however, had come out with nothing but a few scrapes from hitting the ground, and though some of them looked like they hurt, it was a whole different kind of pain that tore through the girl right now.

"Hey, little one." Shizuru said softly, sitting beside her. "I just spoke to the doctor. Natsuki is going to be just fine."

Aishu said nothing, her face remaining buried in her arms. It was reaching 6pm now and from the moment they arrived, the girl had only spoken a few words. What words she did speak, however, were not good ones.

"I should have moved."

Shizuru let out a sigh, placing her arm around the young female in attempts to comfort her.

"Ai-chan…it's not your fault."

"It is."

"No honey, it's-"

"It's my fault!"

She shrugged away from the woman's touch, curling up tighter. Shizuru's eyes glazed over at the reaction, but she was not going to give up, placing her hand on the child again.

"Ai-chan…what happened today could have happened to anybody. If anything, it was the drivers fault for going too fast."

"But I could have moved. If I hadn't frozen up the way I did, Natsuki would have never had to run."

"Honey, you were scared-"

"I don't care!"

A few moments of silence passed after this snap, Shizuru sighing again as she wiped away some of her own tears.

"Would you like to go see her with me?"

"No…"

"She'd really love to know you're ok-"

"I said no!"

Deciding to let her be for now, she leaned in and gently kissed the girl on the head.

"Well, you take your time then. If you feel up for joining later, by all means, please do. She would love to see you. I'll be back, ok? I love you…"

And with that she took off into the other room, leaving Aishu to her space.

"_I should have moved…I should have run."_

The image of Natsuki getting hit kept flashing in her mind, and the more it did, the guiltier she felt.

"_If I had just moved out of the way then…she…_"

She couldn't believe that she had hurt the one person who truly loved and cared for her, and not just one, but two, the fact that this whole thing happened hurting Shizuru as well. These people took her in and gave her what she always wanted, and how did she repay them?"

"_If you had moved when she told you to, she wouldn't be in this mess…" _said a voice in the back of her head._ "In fact…if you have never come in the first place…_"

The girl slowly lifted her face, her eyes full of tears from all the crying she had done. It was true, wasn't it? If she hadn't come here in the first place, none of this would have happened at all.

"_I'm the problem…I am always the problem…_"

She wiped away her tears at the realization of this, sitting up a little bit straighter.

"_This is really your fault. See what happens when you get too attached? Things blow up in your face. You hurt them. For the first time in your life, you found people who cared, and just like all the other times, you messed it all up. You don't deserve this…you shouldn't even be here…_"

These thoughts caused a deep pain in her heart. Part of her didn't want to leave, but if all she ever did was mess up like she did today…

"Excuse me?"

Aishu found herself standing at the large nurse's desk in the hallway she had been sitting in. At the sound of her voice, the nurse looked down and greeted her with a smile.

"Yes?"

"I am sorry to bother, but, may I have a pen and some paper?"

* * *

Quietly, Shizuru entered the hospital room. It was scary sight to see her wife with a cast on her wrist, a bandage on her head, and iv's all hooked up to her.

"_But she is gonna be ok…she's gonna be ok._"

Peeking in a little closer, she saw that her eyes were shut. Was she sleeping?

"Natsuki?"

At the sound of the woman's voice, Natsuki opened her eyes and locked gazes with the other.

"Shizuru…"

A small smile grew on Shizuru's face, tears forming in her eyes all over again.

"Nat…suki…"

Natsuki smiled back, her eyes welling up as well.

"I'm not that broken. Get over here you."

Letting out a giggle, she walked over and crawled into the bed with the other, the two instantly kissing.

"You have no idea how scared I've been."

"I know, love…I'm sorry." Natsuki whispered, now kissing her head. "The doctors say I will be ok though. They just want to keep me here for a little while longer."

"The doctor spoke to me, too" Shizuru replied, nuzzling into Natsuki's neck. "I was so relieved to hear you would be all right."

"Of course. There is no way I am leaving you or Aishu any time soon. Speaking of…"

She looked around the room.

"Where is Aishu? Is she all right? She didn't get hurt any did she?"

"No no, she's all right. Just a few scrapes and all but…"

"But what?"

Shizuru sighed.

"She is taking this really hard. She thinks this is all her fault."

"Wait, she what?"

"She blames herself for this. She's been kind of a mess, and every time I try and comfort her and tell her it isn't her fault, she argues and keeps placing the blame on herself.

Natsuki sighed, her heart breaking at the thought of the girl taking the blame.

"It really isn't her fault." Natsuki said. "Something like that could have happened to anyone, and I did what every mother would do for their child. I wanted to protect her."

"I know…I tried telling her that, but she won't listen."

"Where is she now?"

"She's out in the hall. I tried to get her to come, but she wouldn't move. I'm sorry…"

Natsuki tried squeezing the other with her good arm the best she could.

"No love, don't be sorry. I know she saw the whole thing so she's probably just really scared. Do you think you can try and get her in here again? I want us all to talk together. Maybe between the two of us, we can help her."

"I can try." Shizuru said back. "Let me go grab her."

Before getting up, the two kissed one more time.

"I love you, Shizuru. So damn much."

"I love you, too. Always. I'll be right back."

Standing up, she left the room and entered the hallway. When she reached the area Aishu had been sitting in, she found the girl gone. She looked around and even peeked into the nearby bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Excuse me." She asked one of the nurses sitting at the desk. "Did you happen to see where the little girl who was sitting there went?"

"Um, I saw her a little bit ago. She asked me for some pen and paper and I gave it to her. When I looked up a little after that, she was gone. I figured she ended up going with you."

"No, she didn't. Wait, she asked you for what?"

Confused, she looked back at the bench, and this time, a white folded up piece of paper caught her eyes.

"_Oh no…_" she thought, a sinking feeling suddenly hitting her chest. Going over, she picked it up and opened it, her eyes widening as she read.

"Which way did she go?" she asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Wh-what? I didn't see. I just thought-"

"Well you thought wrong! She needs to be found! Now!"

"I-I'll call security!"

Racing back to the room, she silently hoped that she'd have shown up there, but no such luck.

"What's the matter?" Natsuki asked when she saw the panic stricken and tear streaked face of her wife.

Unable to speak, she walked over and handed Natsuki the note, the blunette's heart dropping the moment she began to read.

"_Dear Natsuki and Shizuru,_

_ I am sorry for messing your family up. If I had just moved then you would have been ok, but then, if I had never come to stay with you in the first place, then you would have never been in that situation. You guys gave me everything and this is what I do. I don't want to mess up your lives any more so I think it's best I go. I don't want to, nor do I deserve to love of be loved when all I ever do is hurt in return. I'm sorry for everything._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Aishu"_

* * *

"_I don't deserve it…I don't."_

Having slipped out of the hospital and onto a bus, Aishu made her way out of that side of the city and back into her old one, the forty five minute journey seemingly taking an instant with how distracted she was. When she finally arrived at her stop, she stepped off and went to a nearby park, wanting to be away from everyone and everything.

"_I hurt her…I was stupid and left Natsuki hurt…and Shizuru, too._"

Lying down on a bench, she curled up, a cool night breeze giving her a chill.

"_I don't deserve that. All I ever do is mess up. And…I…I love them too much to hurt them again._"

Oh yes, despite everything she was doing, she still loved them with every inch of her being, but because she loved them that much…

"_I can't go back…I can never go back. They weren't going to keep me anyways, so it's good I left. I just…I messed up. I hurt them…after everything they did for me…and I…I…_"

Crying, she curled up tighter, closed her eyes, and fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

"She was found sleeping out in a park a few days go. The police took her in and brought her here."

Outside of the orphanage office door stood both Mari and Shizuru, the brunette sporting a very worried gaze as she listened.

"She hasn't said much since she's returned, but she does ask about how Natsuki is a lot."

Mari, who was aware of the incident, had tried to get the girl to talk more, but nothing worked.

"How are you holding up?"

"Um, I'm all right." Shizuru replied. "It's been a little hard with her gone, but Natsuki and I are both holding up. I just hope I can make her understand."

"I hope so, too. She belongs in your family. She really does. I warn you though, she is having a really rough time and it's hard to reach her."

Mari then opened the door and stepped inside. Aishu, who had been sitting at a table randomly drawing on paper, didn't even bother to look up.

"Aishu, look who drove all the way here to see you."

Walking closer, Shizuru took a seat next to the quiet child, the eleven year olds eyes still down in front of her.

"Hello, Ai-chan." She said softly. When the child did not answer, she continued on. "Natsuki and all your friends send their love. She is still in the hospital but is leaving later on today. She's doing a lot better and she misses you, we both do…"

Aishu seemed to have a small reaction to the new about Natsuki, her doodling coming to a stop, but she quickly picked it up right after.

"Aishu, please…listen to me. No one blames you for this. It isn't your fault. This literally could have happened to anyone. Just because you froze doesn't mean you are the reason she is hurt. Anyone could have frozen. The driver is the one really at fault, not you. My god…this isn't your fault in the slightest."

They both loved her more than life itself and she had to learn that she wasn't to blame. Aishu had to understand…she needed to.

"Ai-chan…-"

Reaching out, she grabbed the girls' hand.

"I know what happened the other day scared you and it was a really hard thing to see and go through, but baby, whatever tough time you are having, we can get through it with you…together…as a family. Aishu…please trust me…we love you so much. Please…please come home."

For a moment, Aishu picked her head up to face the other, their eyes meeting. Shizuru's teary eyed crimson gaze sported nothing but love, but Aishu's…

"No…"

Pulling her hand out of Shizuru's, she returned back to her drawings. "I think I'd rather stay here."

With a look of hurt and defeat on her face, Shizuru stood back up and wiped her tears, heading towards the door.

"I'm sorry…" Mari whispered.

Shizuru just nodded her head.

"It's fine…it's fine. I'll just…give her some time. Maybe she'll…change her mind."

"Yeah…"

"All right…th-thank you…I'll just…"

And with that, she walked off.

As Mari shut the door, she looked back at the silent female. Now normally, she could understand the hardships Aishu dealt with. Being in and out of homes so much, she always had a tough time. But this…this was right. Not in the slightest.

Walking over, she pulled out the chair and sat facing the girl.

"You know, I have known you since you were five, Aishu. I have been with you and worked with you for a long time, and I have to admit, you have dealt with a lot of crappy things early on, so I have always been lenient with this attitude of yours. But what you did just now? No, that is wrong, and I am really disappointed in you. Look at me Aishu…"

Although she really didn't want to, she looked up at the woman, Mari clearly unhappy.

"I hate to be so blunt about this, but honey, you're a coward."

Aishu blushed when she heard this, eyes furrowing in anger as she turned away again.

"I'm sorry but it's true. Every time something goes wrong in a family, you run. I see you play it safe. I see you doing things and acting certain ways to keep yourself from getting hurt, but Aishu, who said being in a family was going to be easy?"

Aishu's angered looked did not ease up, but this time, the anger wasn't at Mari…it was at herself.

"Aishu, you have to understand something. No family is perfect. Mistakes will always be made and family members will hurt each other even when they don't mean to, but that's a part of life. That's part of what being a family is. Yes, rough things happen, but families get through it, and that's what makes them stronger. At the end of the day, no matter what, they are going to love you and always be there to support you. You can't always run from things just because something goes wrong. You can't always run in fear of getting hurt. You can't shut yourself off to keep the bad things out, because if you do, you keep the good things out, too. Listen…you are way too young to be running away from things, and Aishu, you don't even have to run away from everything anymore. Why? Because finally, you now have something you can run to. You have two very special people you can run to. Think about that…"

And when she finished, Mari stood up and left the room. When she was finally alone, Aishu pushed the paper away and flopped her head on the table. Mari was right. She was very right. She was a coward and ran from every little thing that could hurt her, and now she ran from the one place where she was truly loved.

"_But I ran for good reasons…didn't I? I am to blame for that accident, right? They really would be happier without me…and…well, I was going to be leaving in a month or so anyways, so what's the big deal if I don't return? What does it matter? I can't go back, and staying here is the right decision. But then…if it is right…_

_ Why does it feel so wrong?"_

**I hope you guys enjoyed this one and thank you for the reviews! What will happen to Aishu next?**


	11. Chapter 11

_Stand in the rain, stand your ground_

_Stand up when it's all coming down_

_You stand through the pain, you won't drown_

_And one day what's lost can be found_

Chapter Eleven: Together

_And one day what's lost can be found…_

Three weeks had passed since the incident. Luckily, for Aishu, winter break had started a few days after she ran, so she wasn't missing anything. Well…school wise anyways…

"_Natsuki…Shizuru…"_

Those two, along with all of her friends she left behind, were always on her mind, creating an ache in her heart she just couldn't shake. She missed them all terribly, and while a great part of her wanted to return…

"_You can't. How can you go back now? You hurt them even more by rejecting their plea to come home, so…ne…what does it matter anyways. You were going to be leaving after new year's, and that's only two weeks away…"_

"You gonna sit there and mope all day again?"

Aishu, who had been curled up on the bed, simply rolled away from Mari.

"I'm not moping."

"_All you ever do is mope_." Mari thought, but she wasn't going to push it. Instead, she just walked over and sat beside her.

"They called again today. They wanted to see how you were. They also said that the Christmas Tree Lighting Festival is tonight, in a few hours, and wanted to take you if you wanted to go."

Aishu said nothing to this. She had actually forgotten all about the festival, though remembering it now did hurt a bit. The three had made plans after all…

"And hey…" Mari continued, her voice a little softer. "It's December 19th today, Shizuru's birthday, remember?"

The brunette curled up tighter when she heard this. That was something she had not forgotten regardless of how much she tried to push it from her mind.

"I'm sure she'd love hearing from you. You positive you don't want to call?"

"Very. Please leave me alone."

Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with the girl at the moment, she simply sighed and pat Aishu on the leg.

"All right. I'll check on you later."

Once the woman had left, Aishu grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it close to her chest, half hiding her face in the softness and warmth it offered.

"_Their warmth was better…_"

Now hiding her face fully, she let out a sigh.

"_Shizuru's…birthday…_"

Of course she knew today was her birthday. How could she have forgotten?

In thinking about it, her mind traveled back to the time they had celebrated Natsuki's that summer. The day was filled with so much love and fun. She'd never forget the look of happiness on the blunette's face when she received the gift…or the words that were spoken after.

"_Even if you hadn't gotten me a gift, I would have just been happy spending it with you and Shizuru._"

"…_Is that what Shizuru wants to?_" she asked herself.

"Ai-chan!"

Snapping from her thoughts, she rolled over to face the voice, a clear look of irritation plastered on.

"Mari, I told you to leave me-"

But right before she could finish, she realized that it wasn't Mari she was speaking to, her eyes widening when she saw who was there. Yes, Mari was behind them, but…

"Rei…Daichi…Chiyo…"

The three kids walked in, Mari staying by the door.

"Ai-chan…please talk to us…" Rei asked softly.

"…What are you all doing here?"

"Well, we wanted to see you." Rei answered.

"We miss you, Ai-chan." Daichi added.

"And we want you to come home."

Those last few words came from Chiyo, who, out of the three, seemed a bit angry. Definitely not normal for the usually bright hearted female.

Sitting up, she slipped off of the bed to a nearby window and leaned her back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. In all honestly, she was extremely happy to see the trio, but if she wanted to get away from her old life all together, she'd have to push them away, too.

"Home?" Aishu asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Your home." Rei answered, her brows furrowing. "With us…and with Shizuru and Natsuki."

The brunette only snickered at this.

"Let me guess, they put you up to this, right?"

"No." Daichi replied. "No one knows we are even here. We all told our parents we wanted to walk around for a while before the festival. They'd kill us if they knew we traveled this far."

Although she didn't show it, she was actually quite touched that they would sneak around just to visit.

"Well, I'm sorry you wasted your time then. I don't have an interest in going back."

"Wh-what? But, Aishu…we all really miss you." Rei told her.

"Especially Natsuki and Shizuru…they miss you terribly." Daichi continued.

"Well, I don't want to go back. What would be the point in it anyways? You all knew I was going to be gone after new year's. I just decided to leave a little early.

The three all looked at each other, holding the secret Aishu was unaware of. Even Mari hadn't told her yet simply because, even now, Natsuki and Shizuru didn't want her to know. The two women wanted to be the ones to tell her, but after the accident, they never got a chance. Now they were afraid to even mention it in fear or pushing her farther away.

"Plus, I didn't like staying there anyways. I am glad I got out. Now I can-"

"Liar."

Aishu's sentence was cut short, the girl locking gazes with the grey eyed speaker.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you're a liar." Chiyo answered.

"Lying? Me? Why would I?"

"Because you're scared."

Aishu snickered again.

"Me? Scared? Bull. Look, I'm not lying. I am more than happy to be out of there."

"No you're not." Chiyo said back, getting angrier.

"Yes…I am."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not."

"You are!"

Chiyo wiped away a tear that had fallen down her face. It broke Aishu's heart to see this, but she couldn't go back, she just couldn't.

"You should all just go…"

"But Aishu-" Rei started.

"No! Just go away!"

Aishu then turned her glance away from the trio and towards the window, staring out at the streets below.

"Guys…" Mari said, feeling sorry for them. "Come on. Let's give her some space."

"But-"

"I'm sorry." She told them. "It's best if you kids head home."

The three, in defeat, began walking out, but at the last second, Chiyo stopped, her fists clenching. She wasn't done yet, so instead of leaving, she pushed her way back through the others.

"Chiyo-chan!" Daichi called. "What are you-"

"They were going to adopt you!"

The whole room went silent, Aishu's gaze instantly snapping back at them.

"Chiyo…" Rei said, pulling at her. "They told us not to-"

"They wanted to keep you." Chiyo continued, ignoring the female twin. "Everybody knew it, but they wanted to make it a surprise."

That funny little heart jump she hadn't felt in a while came back, her chest clenching.

"_A-adopt…me? They were gonna…no way…_"

"…Now who's the liar?"

"I'm not lying!" Chiyo snapped. "They really wanted you. Hell, they still want you!"

Her chest clenched again.

"_They still want me? After everything I have done? That's…impossible._"

"I don't believe you…"

"Well you better start! Because whether you think so or not, they love you and still want you to be theirs. In their minds, you're already their daughter."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had really wanted to keep her? She was never going to leave come new year's after all? And…after everything, they still wanted her to be theirs?

"_That doesn't make sense. After everything I have done, they couldn't want me anymore…but then…"_

She was confused…way too confused. She was caught between her own fears and her old way of thinking versus what she was hearing and what she truly desired.

"I…I don't believe it."

"Aishu-"

"I don't! Just…just get out!"

"But-"

"Get out!"

Mari reached over and gently pulled the girl back.

"Come on Chiyo, just leave her be for now."

This time, she didn't put up a fight, but before finally stepping out…

"You were happy there once…you remember that?"

Aishu pulled her gaze away again.

"You were truly happy. Natsuki and Shizuru showed you how wonderful hugs and getting loved on could be and you relished in it. I know what happened that day must have scared you, and I know that if I had been in your position with one of my own moms, I would blame myself, too, but, I would have eventually realized it wasn't. She would have wanted me to realize that, and if you really needed proof of them loving you, I'd think that the biggest damn piece of proof was the fact that Natsuki was willing to give her life to keep you safe."

Aishu's heart suddenly came to a stop, her eyes widening as her stomach literally dropped.

"She saved your life, and not because she felt obligated to. Not because she had to. She did it because she wanted to, because she loves you, and when a mother loves her child, they'll do anything to keep them safe. So please…please don't keep yourself from the one place that has finally made you happy. You deserve a family. Even if you think you don't…you do."

And with that, all four finally left, leaving Aishu to her thoughts.

It took a little while for the eleven year old to move, her mind still in shock from Chiyo's words. Eventually though, she made her way back to the bed and lay down upon it. Reaching out, she curled up with the pillow she had before.

"_If you really needed proof of them loving you, I'd think that the biggest damn piece of proof was the fact that Natsuki was willing to give her life to keep you safe._"

Yes, Natsuki indeed had saved her life, but she had been so caught up in blaming herself and falling back into her old fears that it didn't quite click that if it wasn't for the blunette, she wouldn't even be here. And instead of thanking her…she ran. Like always, when something went wrong, she ran.

"_What have you done? What…have you…done?_"

* * *

Back at the Kuga residence, life was…quiet. Although it was Shizuru's birthday, the two were not doing much, both staying snuggled up with each other most of the day. At this time, however, Shizuru was alone, having snuck into a room that had been empty just a little too long.

"Ai-chan…"

Sitting on the girl's bed, she held one of Aishu's sweatshirts close to her heart, her eyes watering up. They had tried so hard to get the girl back, but they were failing miserably, her heart breaking a little more as each day passed without her.

"Shizuru…"

Looking up, she saw her wife standing at the door. While everything else had healed up pretty fast, Natsuki's broken right wrist took some time. She still had three more weeks before it could come off for good.

Breathing out a small sigh, she joined Shizuru on the bed and pulled her close in a snuggle. Just like the other, Natsuki was having a very hard time being without Aishu. She missed her so much and wished there was a way she could convince the girl that the accident wasn't her fault.

"Natsuki…I miss her…I really miss her."

"I do, too." She replied softly. "I really do."

"Do you really think we can get her back?"

"I think…if we keep trying as we are, we just might have a chance. Even though the odds seem bad, we have to keep believing and have to somehow keep showing her that we want her back."

Wiping away her tears, Shizuru pulled out the adoption papers she now kept in Aishu's top nightstand drawer.

"Do you think she will ever listen?"

"I think if we show her enough, she will." Natsuki replied. "We have gotten through to her once, we can do it again."

Shizuru nodded, placing the papers down beside her on the bed.

"Yeah…I'm sorry. I am not doubting. I just…"

"I know…" Natsuki replied gently, kissing the woman's cheek. "I know. It's hard and it hurts, but we will get her back, you'll see."

For a few minutes, the two just sat there in silence, both simply holding each other.

"Are you sure you want to go out to the festival?" Natsuki finally asked.

The other nodded.

"Yeah. I told Mai and the others we would be going. Plus, I think we could use the distraction. In fact, we should probably get ready for it now if we want to meet them in time."

"All right…but, come here."

She kissed her wife softly on the lips before wrapping her in a warm hug.

"It's going to be all right, Shizuru. I promise we'll get her back. We will get through this and get her back together, ok?"

"Together." Shizuru whispered, and once she folded up the sweatshirt and put it away, the two left the room to get ready for the night.

* * *

"_I could never get bored snuggling my little girl."_

_ "Oh my little Ai-chan. I'm so glad you're here."_

_ "I have you and Shizuru, the two most important people in my life. How could I not be happy?"_

_ -Gasp-_

Aishu shot awake, disorientated and frantically gazing as she tried to get her bearings. After her friends left, she had passed out thinking about what they had said, and as always, her dreams were filled with the two women she longed for.

"_Natsuki…Shizuru…_"

Standing up, she walked back to the window, her room dark now as the night had come. It was still an early night though, for it was only 8pm.

As she stared out into the streets, a light snow flurry coming down, she fought hard to remember what her dreams had been about. Well, they weren't dreams exactly, more like…memories.

As she replayed some of the ones that had passed through her mind while asleep, a familiar warmth filled her chest, a warmth she desperately missed so much.

"_I know you love and miss them as much as they love and miss you…_"

Chiyo's words echoed through her mind. The girl had been right. She missed and loved them so much it hurt.

"_And if I do, why am I running? Why am I afraid to go back?_"

She rested her forehead on the window, her eyes watering up.

"_It's because you hurt them, right? I was the reason Natsuki got hit, but…_"

"_It wasn't your fault, the driver is to blame._"

"_The biggest damn form of proof was the fact that Natsuki was willing to give her life to keep you safe._"

"_She did keep me safe._" She told herself. "_She saved my life. I love them and want them both, I'm just…afraid._"

"_You don't have to run away from anything anymore. You now have something you can run to."_

But why wouldn't she run back? What kept her from really believing she could?

"Because it's just too perfect…"

Those words slipped out of her mouth in a quiet whisper, a tear falling down her face. Her life had been nothing but unstable families and broken promises, so when just the right family came along, she was too scared to let them in. The only difference with Natsuki and Shizuru…

"_You let them in_."

After some time, she had opened up to them, and for once, could just be a happy kid. She learned she could trust them and that their words were true.

"_Their words were true. Their words…were true._"

Why did that line sound so familiar?

In that moment, her mind slipped back to the conversation she had with Natsuki and Shizuru after she hit Heero.

"_It wasn't right. You guys are the best people I know."_

_ "We are very proud and very glad that you know that we really do love and care about you. We would never lie."_

_ "I know. I trust you."_

Moments after, her mind flickered to the event right before the crash, the moment during her time alone on a walk.

"_I had started running at some point...but why?"_

Her brows furrowed as she remembered.

"_I wasn't running away…no...I was running to something. I was running to…them._"

Her mind then flooded back to all the reasons why she had done so.

"_I was running to them because…because…it finally hit me that their feelings and words were real. That's why I was able to tell them I cared for them at the school! It came out easy because I knew they truly felt the same! Their words had life and meaning! Their words were…"_

Aishu's eyes widened as other things began coming together.

"_Their words were real…so…if they were real then, they would be real now, right? And if they are, that means they really do want me back…they really do love me, and I…I'm loved! I'm still loved! After everything I have done they still love me!"_

Aishu's heart suddenly felt light as air.

"_They love me they love me! Wait, but then…is what Chiyo said true? Did they really plan on…adopting me?_"

The idea of being adopted was hard to imagine even if she wasn't in this crazy situation. She just never thought she'd get that lucky at all.

"_Is this really true?_"

Well there was only one way to find out...and it did not involve her continually sitting there. So, without a second thought, she threw on her black sweatshirt, her winter hat, and jetted out her door. Taking care to make sure no other kids or Mari was around; she snuck down the stairs and to the front entrance, slipping on her shoes before walking out.

Once she was out, she ran at the speed of light to the nearest bus stop, luckily catching it as it was leaving. She knew she probably could have asked Mari for a ride, but in fear of her saying wait till morning, and because she really just wanted to do this alone, she did not.

"_Natsuki…Shizuru…"_

She had to find out it was true.

Forty five minutes later, she found herself back in her neighbor, and even though it was cold, snow still falling, she raced down the streets, booking to the place she craved the most. She was hoping she could catch them before they went to the festival, as once they were they, it would be a lot harder to find them.

"Please be there…please be there…." She repeated as she ran, almost slipping as she made a turn. However, when she finally arrived…

"Oh no…."

All the lights were completely off, which she knew was unusual for if there was anyone home, at least one light would be on. This actually broke her heart to see as she had built herself up to finally get to them, and yet she ran to an empty house.

"_God...I have missed this place_…"

It was then a thought struck her, and though she was unsure of it at first, she ended up falling through with it anyways. So, after glancing around to make sure no one else was watching, she walked up to the door, found the extra hidden house key, and slipped inside. As soon as she did, the first thing she noticed was the smell…that sweet spring smell, and the moment it hit her system, the ache in her chest from missing them so much grew.

_"I didn't realize…just how much I missed…"_

Flicking on the light, she looked around, the girl standing in the living room. As she did, she found herself smiling, a certain memory involving her, Shizuru, and Natsuki dancing running through her mind. If she listened close enough, she could almost hear the sound of laughter the night offered.

"_My god why did I run away…why?_"

Unable to help herself, she continued on upstairs, passing first by the room belong to the two women. Doing this only prompted more memories, most of them filled with snuggles and kisses. And after that...

"_My room…_"

With the door already being open, she flicked the switch on and stepped inside. It was seriously so nice to see it again, everything left as it had been the day she left. Walking over to her bed, she sat on it, hand running over the neat blue covers.

"_My bed…my room…my…home._"

She let out a sigh as she looked around more. It was pretty stupid of her to run and she knew she should have never done it in the first place. Yes, she was scared, but she should have just let the others help her.

"_Do I even deserve this now?_" She wondered, her negative and fearful thoughts trying to pull back through. "_I don't even know…and now, what do I do? They're not home so…do I wait? Should I go out and find them? Should I…_"

She just wasn't sure. In all honestly, she was a little scared to finally see the other two. Yes she missed them like crazy, but with how she had been lately, she was feeling a little…ashamed, and was almost embarrassed to face them.

"_Maybe I will just wait…I think I need a little more time to…wait, what's this?_"

As she was looking around she noticed something on the floor between her bed and the nightstand. Curious, she reached in and pulled out some folded pieces of paper.

"_I don't recognize these, so they can't be mine. I don't think I-"_

Her thoughts stopped the moment the papers opened, her eyes widening and tearing up in almost an instant. Before running here, she had wondered if Chiyo's words had been true simply because she couldn't see herself being that lucky, but now…as she glanced down with nothing but tears in her eyes…

"O-official Adoption F-form for child, Aishu Hinamori, to guardians, Natsuki…and Shizuru…Kuga."

Those words felt so foreign on her tongue, the thought even stranger. Here, in her hands, were papers she never thought she would see in her life, and yet here they were, in the house she most desperately wanted to call home, signed by the two people she wanted more than anything to call…

"Moms…"

Now she really didn't need a second thought. Forget waiting. She wanted them, and she wanted them now. So, after tucking the papers into her sweatshirt pocket, she flicked off the lights, sped downstairs and zoomed right out the door. Thankfully she knew where the festival was being held, but that wasn't going to be the problem.

"_Where do I even start looking?_"

There were so many people, so many booths, so many places to visit…she had no idea where to even go.

"_That doesn't matter thought. Find them…you have to find them…_"

And with that, she started running all over the area, looking over all the common places she could find them. The food area, some gaming booths, on the path where all the trees were lit, but after a good fifteen minutes of searching, nothing came up, and at this point, with all the running she did, she had to take a break.

"_Ne…where are they?_"

She had spent so much time trying to get away from them that when she actually wanted them, she couldn't find them at all.

"_I need them…_" she thought, pulling the adoption papers from her pocket. "_I really, really need them._"

As she glanced over the words again, more tears formed from a mix of yearning, frustration, excitement, and sadness. She was like a little ball of emotions and knew they wouldn't rest until she was in the arms of the two people she absolutely loved.

"_Don't give up…_" she finally said, tucking the papers away again. _"You can't. They have got to be here somewhere. Find them, Aishu…find them._"

Standing up again, she took off running, her mind set on locating both women. And, about five minutes later, as fate would have it, she would find one of them the very same way she had done in the first place.

"Oomph!"

Falling back, she hit the ground hard, groaning and hitting her head.

"_Dammit…I really need to pay attention to where I am going…_"

Rolling over, she stood up and wiped the snow away from her skirt.

"Oh no! Are you all right?" said a voice.

"Yeah…" she said, too distracted to realize who had been talking. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. I am just looking for-"

When she finished clearing her skirt, she had turned to face the person she hit, but upon realizing who was there, her sentence stopped short, the rest of it coming out in a small whisper.

"You…"

There, right in front of her, was none other than Shizuru, the woman looking just as shocked as she was, tears growing in both of their eyes. The woman took a step forward, but stopped, as if moving closer would prompt the girl to run, but Aishu wasn't going to do it. Not anymore, so she stood her ground, her heart beating a mile a minute. She opened her mouth to say something, but words would not come out, her voice locking up just the way it used to. She tried again, but before she could even attempt to, something unexpected happened.

"Ai…chan…"

Within seconds of saying her name, Shizuru dropped her bag, fell to her knees, and wrapped the girl in the tightest hug she had ever felt. The brunette was shocked, the familiar warmth melting right over her.

"_Her hugs…I missed her…_"

In this moment, she had finally found her voice, wanting to comfort the woman who was shaking just as much as she was.

"Shizu-chan?"

Nothing. Shizuru made no movement and no noise, still just hugging the girl tight.

"Shizuru?"

Still nothing.

"Shizu-chan. I'm…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running and for causing trouble and for-"

"Shhhh."

Another thing the child wasn't expecting. She wanted to apologize for what she had done, but the other was not letting her do so.

"But Shizu-chan, I-"

"Shhhh." Shizuru said again, hugging the girl a little tighter. Was she being serious? After all of the things Aishu did…all of the things she caused, all Shizuru wanted to do was hug her?

"_It's because they love you, remember?_" she told herself. "_Chiyo said they missed and loved you so much…and that they wanted you back…and…__"_

"I have been so worried about you."

Shizuru had finally spoke, her hand gently stroking the girls hair as she placed soft kiss on top of her head. Aishu found herself sinking deeper into Shizuru's warmth, a feeling she and missed tremendously. In thinking she had lost it made her realize how precious it was…how precious they were.

"I have missed you like crazy. I really, really have. "

"I missed you, too." Aishu said back, feeling guiltier by the minute. Shizuru's words had been calming and soft, but she could hear the hint of sadness behind them. She really had been worried sick for her and missed her a lot.

"Shizu-chan, please…" she said, not wanting the woman to cut her off again in attempts to say this. "Please…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble, and I didn't mean to-"

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

Shizuru pulled away slightly, resting her forehead on Aishu's own and looking her in the eyes.

"Absolutely nothing. You're here in my arms and you are safe. That is all I wanted. Don't be sorry."

"_That's it? That's all she wanted? With everything that has happened, the only thing she wants is…me?_"

"Shizu…chan…"

Nearly bursting out in tears, she wrapped her arms around the woman's neck and hugged her close, burying her face in the sweet smelling chestnut locks.

"I missed you…I missed you…I'm sorry, just…please…"

"Shhhh baby, shhh. It's all right. It's gonna be all right. I'm here now love, and I won't leave you."

For a few minutes, the two just stood there, happy to be together again. Shizuru missed holding her girl and Aishu missed falling right into it. When Aishu had calmed down a little bit, Shizuru spoke first.

"I am so glad to see you." She said softly, reaching out to wipe away Aishu's tears. "And I know there is someone out there who wants you in their arms, too. Why don't we go find her together?"

Aishu nodded, slipping in for another hug, Shizuru happily hugging back.

"Good girl, baby. Come on. I know exactly where she is."

After another little kiss, the two were off, and within two minutes, the other was located, the blunette staring at a menu on a nearby food booth.

"Natsuki…" Shizuru said softly.

The woman looked back, smiling lightly when she saw her.

"Hey, I was wondering where you had gone. Are you-"

She stopped mid-sentence, brows furrowing as she noticed the red puffy eyes of the other.

"Shizuru, are you ok? Were you crying?"

Shizuru simply smiled, nodding gently to her side. Confused, she looked down, at first seeing nothing. Seconds later, however, she saw a little clinging girl peek out from behind the woman, her eyes widening when she saw who it was.

"Ai…Ai-chan?"

"N-natsuki…" she mumbled out, but within seconds of seeing the other woman she had missed, she burst into tears, covering her eyes with her arm.

"Oh no, baby, come here…come here…"

Natsuki went into instant mother mode and hugged the girl close, cooing sweet and comforting words to ease the girl. Yes, she was crying herself, but hers was out of happiness. She knew Aishu's tears held much more.

"It's ok baby…I promise…don't cry. I'm right here…we're both right here."

Pulling back, Aishu took a deep breath in attempts to stop her tears, rubbing at her eyes.

"Natsuki…I missed you."

"Honey, I missed you, too." The woman said back, tucking some of the girl's hair behind her ears. "So damn much. You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"I'm happy to see you, too. Both of you. And…I'm…I'm sorry…"

"Ai-chan, no need to be-"

"Please…" Aishu cut in, looking at the other with mild desperation. "Please…Natsuki…I am sorry. I am sorry to both of you for everything. I got so scared and ran and I should have just come to you. I had just felt so bad and blamed myself for you getting hit and-"

"And that wasn't your fault. I promise you darling, you are not to blame."

"I know…" she said back softly, sniffling. "I know that now…but, I should have realized that sooner, and I am sorry. And more than anything, I am sorry for not thanking you sooner."

"Thanking me?"

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here…" Aishu replied, her voice cracking. "I would have been hit by that car if you hadn't pushed me away. You saved my life…so…thank you…."

More tears poured out of the emerald eyes as Aishu hugged her again.

"Baby, you are my life…and I will do anything to protect you. You will always be safe not only with me, but with us."

Walking over, Shizuru joined in on the hug, Aishu needily reaching for her as well when she got closer.

"_You're home…you're home…how could you have run from this?_"

"I have missed you both so much. I missed your hugs, your kisses, you snuggles…your love. I've missed your love…Shizu-chan? Natsu-chan? I…I love you."

Yet more foreign words left her mouth, but she found no point in keeping them in anymore. She no longer wanted to run…no longer wanted to hide. She didn't have to anymore, not if she had them.

"Oh my little Ai-chan." Shizuru spoke. "We love you, too. And we always will."

As they pulled away from the hug, the papers Aishu had been carrying slipped from her pocket, Shizuru instantly recognizing what they were.

"Ara, are those the…"

Picking them up off the ground, Aishu opened them and held them out.

"I stopped by the house first to see if you were there, and when I went into my room, I found these on the floor."

Now came the question she had been waiting to ask.

"Is…is it true. Did you guys…you know…did you really want to a…a…adopt me?"

The two women looked at each other, smiles on their faces.

"Not 'did' want to." Natsuki told her, confusing Aishu a bit. "It's 'do want to'. Meaning, yes, honey, we do still want to adopt you."

Aishu's eyes watered up again, the crying seemingly never coming to an end.

"You…do? Even after everything that happened, you still want me?"

"Of course we do." Shizuru answered. "We never stopped wanting you. No matter how good, how bad, or how crazy things are, we never want you to go away. We will handle everything that comes down our path together…as a family…"

"If that's what you really want." Natsuki added. "So…I guess what we are trying to finally here is…Aishu, we love you more than life itself and we want you in this family forever. We want to watch you grow, to laugh with you, to cry with you, and to give you endless love…to provide you with the same amount of happiness you provide us. So…will you do us the honors of being our little girl?"

Aishu had never felt so happy in her life, nor had she cried so much in her life either. She didn't know what to do with herself she was just so damn happy, and after having her much needed teary moment, she finally spoke.

"Natsu-chan…Shizu-chan…I want to come home."

**A/N: Yaaaaay warmth! One more chapter to go! Thanks for all the support so far and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	12. Epilogue

_I can't believe the words I hear_

_ It's like an answer to a prayer_

_And when I look around I see_

_This place, this time, I see you're mine_

Epilogue

_I see you're mine…_

It was the day after Christmas, the holidays quite joyful indeed due to the positive turn of events. Aishu was finally able to get past her fears and went home with Shizuru and Natsuki, the three spending much needed snuggle time together. The next day they broke the news to their friends, the young trio excited to have their Ai-chan back. She tried apologizing to them for how she had acted before, but, like the two women, they were just happy she had returned.

"Are they here yet?"

Sitting in Natsuki's and Shizuru's living room were Aishu's friends and their parents. However, the owners of the house were nowhere to be found, nor was the little girl.

"I really can't wait!" Chiyo said, clinging cutely to Mikoto.

"Me either!" Rei replied, her head flopped on Yukino's lap.

"I wonder what's taking them so long." Haruka grumbled. "We all gathered here to celebrate yet they haven't returned."

"Ne, I am sure they will be soon." Mai told her. "You know as well as I do how long it takes."

And something like that did take a lot of time, but it was so worth it. Regardless of how long though, a celebration would happen after, Mai having cooked almost all of the food.

"This is so exciting!" squeaked Chiyo.

"I know!" Rei said back. "I can't wait for-"

"Look!" Daichi shouted, the boy planted by the window. "They're here!"

Jetting on the couch between both of his mother's, he waited anxiously with the rest of them for the other's to come in.

"Come on come on come on!" Chiyo said, nearly rolling with excitement, Mai giggling at her daughter's reaction. They were _**all**_excited.

After a few more moments, the door clicked open, Natsuki and Shizuru both stepping inside. Shizuru had to admit, the sight of them all waiting was slightly amusing, but touching at the same time. They all wanted to be there, and as she looked back at her wife, the blunette smiling, they knew they couldn't keep the news any longer.

"You guys ready?" Shizuru asked.

"Yes!"

"Well then…Natsuki and I are happy to announce, officially, the introduction of none other than our little Aishu…Kuga."

Peeking from behind Natsuki shyly, she stepped out, her cheeks red as she looked out at the others, a huge smile on her face.

"Kyaaaaaa!"

Chiyo literally sped from the couch and glomped the brunette, almost knocking her down.

"Finally!"

"Ch-chiyo-chan." Aishu stuttered out, hugging the girl back. The other two followed after.

"All right, Ai-chan!" Daichi said, ruffling her hair.

"We're so happy for you!" Rei told her.

"You're finally theirs!" Chiyo added, still hugging her. "And now, it's my turn to finally make you mine!"

"Wh-what?!"

The grey eyed female then giggled and gave a quick kiss on Aishu's cheek before running back into the arms of Mikoto, the new Kuga left stuttering and in shock.

"Congratulations." Yukino said with a smile. "We are all really glad this has finally happened."

"How do you feel?" Mai asked.

Shuffling shyly, she looked down at the ground, fiddling with the ends of her sleeves.

"I…um…just…happy. I feel really happy."

Happy was an understatement, however. She was feeling a boat load of good feelings, but no one would could describe them.

"Good." Mai said warmly. "You deserve to be. I-"

But before Mai could finish, the sudden sound of a loud growl filled the room, all eyes now on the source.

"Ne…" Mikoto said sheepishly. "So I'm a little hungry…"

The crew giggled at this, Mai beckoning them all to the kitchen.

"Come on, there's plenty of food to go around in here. Let's go celebrate!"

With that, everyone happily got up and followed Mai. Shizuru and Natsuki were about to do the same thing, but before they could, Aishu gently tugged at both of their sleeves, the two stopping and looking back, their gazes warm.

"You all right love?" Shizuru asked.

Aishu nodded.

"What's up?" Natsuki asked next. They thought something might have been wrong, but that was definitely not the case.

Reaching out, Aishu slipped her hand into Shizuru's and looked up at her. She had yet to say these words, but now…

"M…M-mom…"

She then grabbed onto Natsuki's hand and locked gazes with her.

"M-Mama…"

Aishu's eyes glazed up as soon as she spoke this, her parent's eyes doing the same exact thing as they bent down to hug her.

"Our daughter." Shizuru whispered.

"Our little girl." Natsuki whispered back.

After giver their child a kiss and wrapping her up in their warmth once more, they whispered their "I love you's" and headed into the kitchen.

After years of waiting and years of pain, Aishu was finally happy. She had a home, two parents who loved her, and could finally just be a kid; a happy ending to her story.

But then, who says it's the end?

**Yay! She has a family! Nyaa, I hope you guys enjoyed this and I really want to say thank you to all who have been reviewing and supporting x3 A small break will now follow, but for those who follow my New Light Series, I am almost done the next chapter! Thank you so much again!**

**Also, if any of my readers are going to Anime Weekend Atlanta, let me know! 3**


End file.
